


City of Sin

by BigDickFlex



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Angst, Blood and Violence, Drama, F/F, Fluff, Mari's a fucking gangster, Probably no main character death, Romance, Suspense, ships will probably be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 02:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12739440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigDickFlex/pseuds/BigDickFlex
Summary: Hanamaru Kunikida is a student at a police academy looking to make her home safe. To protect the people she loves, she will do anything not to become like the criminals and corrupt cops that haunt the city. Her view changes when an internship takes her to a famous detective named Dia Kurosawa, and she realizes that her goal may not be as close as she thinks.Familiar faces from both Aqours and Muse appear, and Hanamaru struggles to keep her innocence. Making both friends and enemies, in the end, who can you trust in this City of Sin?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I know I still have to work on my other story, but I decided to try something different. There were honestly a lot of firsts for me so go easy. If you guys enjoy it and want me to continue just say the word. And if you don't, who cares I'm writing it anyway.

November 5th  
2:00 am.

A women lived alone in a small apartment. The bustling sound of the city could be heard easily through the walls. The railroad track next to it certainly didn't help the reputation of the apartment building. There were many competitors in the city, and residential areas were important for companies. Though the noise was something that you'd get used to in time, no one ever stopped complaining about it.

In the dark room, the women layed on the floor. She had just moved here, so to some people it would seem like she couldn't afford a bed. After all, if this apartment complex was the best she could get...

However, there were some things she brought from home. A picture of her family rested on the window sill. She had wanted to buy a shelf for it, her sister often complained about her leaving her stuff around back home, but she never got to it.

The glass table she bought was shattered, everything on it sprawled on the floor. The walls were stained with a color reminiscent to the color of a rose, and she felt a sharp pain in her side. 

Looking up into the darkness, the women shivered in fear. She wouldn't scream. She couldn't scream. Red, demon-like eyes stared at her. She saw no signs of pity, no signs of mercy. The attacker pointed the gun at her once more.

"Damn, I missed the heart. It's too goddamn dark in here. Guess I owe the boss money now, tch."

A sharp, annoyed remark came from the figure. Realizing why she was alive, the women looked around frantically. Forcing herself off the floor, she scrambled for something, anything. 

"Tch."

However, a new sharp pain in her leg caused her to gasp in pain, falling to the ground. Looking down to see a small knife embedded in her thigh, tears welled up and she suppressed the urge to scream in pain.

The attacker sighed once more, crouching down next to the girl. 

"The train's coming now, do you know what that means?" 

The women, frozen in fear, could only stare as the killer pointed the gun at her head. Looking at the flashing lights of the train through the window, she saw one last glimpse of her family.

Before an unheard shot rang throughout the room.

 

-  
November 6th  
7:00 am.

"The waffles are ready!"

"Eggs, coming right up!"

The busy restaurant was something that never changed. Shouts echoed throughout, and orders were given with incredible speed. It was to be expected though. After all, it was one of the most famous restaurants in the city.

Ever since beginning her life at the police academy, Hanamaru Kunikida found ordering a crap ton of eggs and bacon a daily ritual. Well, by half way through her second year was when she could actually afford to do that.

"Before, it was just bread and milk..."

After getting her part time job at the bar, she found herself actually getting a steady income. It was truly one of the first times she felt like an adult in society. Though she did immediately blow her first paycheck on that first serving of bacon.

Shaking her head, Hanamaru concentrated at the task at hand. Final exams were coming up, and while she probably wouldn't have too much trouble in the writing portion, she knew it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. 

"How's the studying goin'?" A plate of bacon and eggs were placed in front of her, and she looked up to see a pretty and enthusiastic waitress. 

"It's going as well as it could if I'm being honest." Frowning, she looked down at the large portion of food on the table.

"I didn't order this, You-san." 

You Watanabe smiled and winked at her mischievously. "It's on the house. Today's when the internship starts, right?"

Her smile turned into a pout.

"Though how many times do I have to say it, just call me You!"

The enthusiasm rubbed off on her, and Hanamaru found herself smiling. This ashen-haired young lady was one of the full-time waitresses at the restaurant. Nearly being the same age as a college student, Hanamaru had frequently asked her why she would take a job at a restaurant when she could be doing so much more.

After all, You had the strength of a bodybuilder and the musical talent of an actress. However, every single time it was brought up, she answered the same thing every single time. 

"Sure, actresses and singers are big in the show biz these days, that's undeniable. However, this restaurant is dear to me, and I love seeing people enjoy our food. Plus the uniforms are cute."

Hanamaru would usually pout and say how much of a boring answer that was, causing You to smile apologetically, saying that maybe she would come up with another answer in time. The waitress would then give her a huge helping of bacon, making her forget about it relatively quickly.

These conversations had always helped her through rough times, though it was partially because of the bacon as well. 

"You, get in this kitchen at once!" 

Hearing a familiar calm yet stern voice, Hanamaru watched You flinch and smile nervously. 

"G-Good luck out there and I'll see you later." She flashed a quick smile, before dashing back into the kitchen. Well, not before Hanamaru overheard her whisper,

"Sonoda-san's gonna kill me!"

Hanamaru chuckled at the usually brazen girl. As always, Umi was one of the only people that could make You get that flustered and nervous. Glancing at the clock, Hanamaru nodded and left a tip on the table. Since she recently got payed, the least she could do was actually pay You back for all of the free meals she received.

Grabbing her bag, she took a deep breath and exhaled. Another day in the city was about to start.

 

-  
"Aw yeah! Today's the first day of the internship, who do you think you'll get?"

The academy was one of the most well renowned schools in the region. With over 30,000 people applying per year, only 5,000 made it. When she had first heard about that, Hanamaru realized how lucky she was. She had also expected to have classes with quiet and respectful peers. 

"I'm hoping I'll get someone who's easygoing, maybe we'll be able to work on some minor cases." 

"Aww, boooring."

Hanamaru smiled apologetically. She was okay with helping out people with little problems. Gangs and mafia bosses were left to only the best detectives. However, energetic classmate Chika Takami had other things in mind. 

"I want to solve murder cases and catch criminals!" The ginger, as always, had extremely high energy. Ever since meeting her first year, the two had classes together all the time. Of course with all the time they spent together, it was inevitable that they would become friends. Chika fixed her badly tied tie, rolling up her sleeves and pulling out a sheet of paper. 

Hanamaru visibly cringed at the ginger's lack of manners. The uniforms consisted of blazers and white button up shirts with suspenders and a tie. There was some leeway, such as the option of wearing dress pants or a skirt, but considering how formal the school usually was, no one had even considered not following the dress code. No one except Chika, at least.

Looking at the writing on the crumbled sheet of paper, Hanamaru had to wonder where such an easygoing girl got such beautiful handwriting. It was one thing that always made her jealous.

"This is....?"

Chika slammed her hands on the table, grinning from ear to ear.

"The list of detectives we'll intern for!"

Eyes widening, Hanamaru's voice went down to a whisper. Now she was interested. "How did you get this?" 

"Don't worry about it, but look at this!" Following her careful manner, Chika's crimson eyes lit up and her voice went down to a whisper. 

"One of the most famous detectives, Dia Kurosawa!" 

"Ruby's sister?" She didn't expect to be more surprised. Her best friend's sister, one of the most famous people in the country, was coming to her school? Her surprise soon turned to worry, as she realized how much trouble would be caused by the detectives arrival.

Hopefully she wouldn't have to intern for her. After all, she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself. And she was pretty sure that interning for someone that well known be as stressful as anything. Before she could be barraged with more questions she couldn't answer, their teacher walked in, a small smile on his face. Raising an eyebrow, Hanamaru turned to her friend. Looking just as surprised as her, Chika shook her head.

Not only was their teacher smiling, but he was holding a stack of index cards. To someone else it wouldn't be that weird, but to the students in this class....

"Woah, he's smiling for once..."

"That's actually kind of creepy.."

Hearing whispers around, Hanamaru had to agree with her classmates. What exactly was it that made their teacher actually want to smile? It sure as hell wasn't them. They didn't have much time to think, as he began coughing, silencing them efficiently. Being one of the stricter teachers in the school, many people had to learn the hard way, that when he told them to quiet down, they had to quiet down.

Chika was one of the ones who had to learn the hard way. Well, obviously.

"Good morning class, are you all ready?" 

His booming voice washed over them, and Hanamaru shuddered. Even after years of knowing him, she was still frightened by his personality. Not waiting for an answer, he continued.

"These cards contain an address. This address is where you will find your internship." 

Huh? Looking around, Hanamaru saw that she wasn't the only one confused. Wasn't he going to announce who they had? As if reading her mind, Chika began voicing their concerns. 

"Um, sir, shouldn't we know who we have first?"

Raising an eyebrow, he shook his head. 

"What's the point of that? Think of this as your first investigation. After all, this will be your first step into the real world."

Everyone remained silent. As much as they wanted to complain, they knew that what he said was true. And Hanamaru knew better than anyone. Their class was more than serious. As he finished handing out the cards, even Chika remained silent. Handing out the final one, he stood in front of the class once more and smiled.

"Good luck out there. This will be one of your hardest assignments, and I've made sure of it." 

His smile was now replaced with a sterner, more serious expression. 

"Class dismissed."

 

-  
Frowning at the card in her hand, Hanamaru glared at the sky. 

After their extremely early dismissal, Chika had immediately dashed out of the room in a panic. Of course, after begrudgingly jogging to catch up and confronting her about it, the ginger had spouted some nonsense, before darting off. And after Hanamaru had checked her card for her internship, she had found out that she was supposed to meet with whoever at 9:00. 

In the middle of the night.

Furthermore, it was at some random rundown apartment complex. Couldn't they at least meet at the police station for a debriefing of some kind? So, instead of meeting a detective like everyone else, Hanamaru had wandered to one of the few parks in the city. The internship being a few hours away, she felt like she had some time to kill.

Besides, this was another place she had frequently visited. Well, visited probably wasn't the right term. Before she was taken in by a certain someone, Hanamaru had spent countless days and nights in this park. She hadn't visited in some time, so it was kind of nostalgic.

"It's been a while, Maru-chan." 

Turning around, Hanamaru broke into a smile, nearly tackling the lady to the ground. This was probably one of her biggest reason for coming here. 

"Nee-chan!"

Smiling softly, Nozomi Tojo chuckled, stroking the shorter girl's hair. 

"Did you miss me that much?" 

Hanamaru let go and began blushing, embarrassed. "Of course I did, I felt really bad not stopping by for that long."

Nozomi was one of the first people that she met moving into the big city. After realizing just how harsh it was here, Hanamaru spent time sleeping on park benches. At the time, she was ready to give up on her dream and just go home, but after she was found by Nozomi, her life had changed.

When she saw her for the first time, it was like looking at a goddess. The older women had fed her, giving her one of her first solid meals. Nozomi had bitten her lip, saying that she couldn't take her in, but promised to stop by everyday no matter what. And so she did, keeping her company through thick and thin. When it rained, the two would go to cafes to talk and eat, Nozomi telling her how much she reminded her of her daughter while Hanamaru would nod, mouth full of ice cream.

When Hanamaru had finally gotten the acceptance letter from the school, she had excitedly shown her, and she could confidently say that Nozomi was the person she cared about the most. Knowing that people like her existed was her reason for wanting to become a cop.

However, for a few days after getting the letter, Nozomi had stopped visiting her. On her last day of living in the park, Hanamaru had sat under a tree in the rain, looking up at the sky. She had wondered why she was left alone again, before shaking her head. Maybe Nozomi was too busy taking care of her own family. Suddenly the rain had stopped, and she looked up to see a messily dressed women with an umbrella. 

"You're the girl Nozomi was talkin' about?" The women was only a few inches taller, and seemed to have not a care in the world. Holding out her hand, the women sighed. 

"If you want a place to stay, come with me. But you'll have to work for your own money, ya hear?" Nodding, tears began welling up in her eyes, and Hanamaru hugged the woman as tightly as she could, thanking her repeatedly. Of course after that day, she had worked at the bar throughout her years at the academy, and she still lived with the woman even now.

Now that she had enough money though, she could finally pay Nozomi back for all the trips to the cafe. 

The two sat on the bench, watching the birds fly by, and listening to the noisy city. Hanamaru leaned her head on the older woman's shoulder, humming softly. It was comforting and nostalgic for her and she realized that this would probably be one of the few times of comfort before she started her internship. 

"How has your daughter been, Nee-chan?" 

Throwing crumbs to the birds, Nozomi began humming along with her before answering. "She's doing well, she's going to be moving on to middle school soon." 

Hanamaru closed her eyes, taking in the her comforting scent.

"By the way, what happened to your cute little verbal tic, Maru-chan?" Nozomi said, noticing the lack of an accent. Jumping up, Hanamaru began stuttering. Oh, how she wished that she could forget that accursed tic she had. 

"Nee-chan! You know how much I hated it! Plus, I've learned to conceal it pretty well, zu-" Hanamaru began glaring at Nozomi's smug grin, blushing furiously. After all the years of hiding it, of course the one person she didn't want to hear it would be the one to hear it. Before she could complain anymore, Nozomi stood up and stretched. 

"Sorry, Maru-chan, but I have to pick up groceries today. I'm making spaghetti today if you want to come over." 

Shaking her head, Hanamaru got up as well, looking down at her watch. "You know I hate noodles, plus I have to stop by home and change before I head out." 

"Aw, you can't blame a girl for trying." Nozomi said with sad smile. She smiled apologetically as well. They both wanted to spend more time together, but there was always next time. 

"I'll see you later, Nee-chan!" Waving, Hanamaru shouted, jumping up excitedly. As always, she hated saying goodbye. Nozomi waved back.

Watching her walk away, Nozomi smiled. Seeing her second daughter grown up really was a sight to behold. 

 

-  
Walking into the bar, Hanamaru inhaled the smell of home. Cigarettes and booze. This being an alleyway bar, you'd expect almost no business. However, there were regulars nearly every day, and she had to wonder what people did that caused them to drink all their problems away. Though at this time of the day there were no one to be seen, save for the owner of the bar sprawled on the counter. Wearing a simple, white button up shirt the women was snoring soundly. 

Sighing, Hanamaru scratched her head. Yep, this was her guardian, the person who had been taking care of her for almost four years. It was a miracle she wasn't dead yet. Looking at the clock, she still had a few hours. Rolling up her sleeves, Hanamaru decided to make some breakfast. Not for her, but for her guardian.

This was how many days were. Usually sleeping until 6:00 her guardian would only wake up at 7:00 to open up the bar. Of course, it was up to Hanamaru to wake her up. However, since the address for the internship was about an hour away, she would have to wake her up earlier. Besides, with traffic and all, it would be a pain to go any later. Though she knew how much she hated being woke up early. Quickly grabbing some water and canned tuna from the fridge, Hanamaru began making a sandwich.

Finishing up, she placed the meal on the bar counter. Shaking the unconscious girl's shoulders, Hanamaru sighed as she saw no signs of life. Grabbing the cup of water, she threw all the contents in her face.

"Wake up, Rin-san!"

"Ugh.." Barely reacting to the attempt, Rin Hoshizora looked up groggily. Seeing the stern, cross girl in front of her, her eyes wandered to the clock on the wall. 

"It's not 7:00 yet.." Yawning, Rin looked around the the counter, eyes stopping on the messy tuna sandwich. Shrugging, she started munching quietly. Hanamaru sighed again, sitting down on one of the stools. Resting her hand on her chin, she stared at the mess of an adult. Well, if you could call her that.

This cat-like woman was Hanamaru's current guardian, and owner of the bar.

When Rin had first taken her in, she had said that she would have to work for her own money. So, Hanamaru began working at the bar as well. But, when she saw how the older girl had lived, she dedicated herself to making her new home feel like home. For Rin and her both. Now, it was the norm for the two of them. Their own little family. 

As much as Rin's lazy behavior annoyed her, Hanamaru couldn't help but grin from time to time. The two had been through a lot, and she was thankful to the girl for helping out so much. Plus, she had a weak spot for cats, and Rin was suspiciously reminiscent of a kitten. Glancing at the clock, she stood up and looked around the bar. She would have to clean this mess up later, but for now..

"My internship starts at 9:00, Rin-san. So clean yourself up and get the bar ready." Staring at her, she was only satisfied when she saw a small nod, and Hanamaru smiled, hugging the girl warmly. 

Rin rubbed her eyes, and shook her head. "What am I supposed to eat for dinner?" 

"Hm, booze and bread I suppose." Hanamaru stifled a giggle as she watched the girl make a face, before sighing in resignation. Rin grabbed a bottle of beer and sat up. Hanamaru's breath hitched, as she saw a glimpse of the girl's chest, barely hidden under the sloppily buttoned up shirt. 

Coughing, she quickly turned away and headed towards the shower. "A-Anyway, I have to get ready, I'll see you later." 

"Yeah, Yeah.." Rin yawned, paying no attention and looking at the bottle in her hand once more.

"We meet again my old friend.." she muttered.

 

-  
Pulling her coat over her shoulders, Hanamaru shuddered. Dressed with her usual school attire and now freshly showered, she was currently on the train to the written address. The train was nearly empty, save for her and another woman. However, she paid no mind as she looked out the window and at the night sky. Living in the countryside was something she had loved, and stargazing was something she did frequently with her parents.

Though now that she lived in the city, Hanamaru found that it was nearly impossible to see the stars. Though there was one time... 

Before she could finish the thought, Hanamaru noticed the other woman in the train. Eyes widening, her breath was taken away. It was if she had stepped into another world. The woman was beautiful. Wearing a long simple black dress, the woman seemed about Hanamaru's age, making her more of a girl in that case. However, the air around her was enough to make her forget all about it. 

The woman's long, black hair reached down to her back and was styled in a strange way. Her mysterious purple eyes gave Hanamaru a nagging feeling of nostalgia, making her wonder if the two had ever met. Before she could stare any longer, the woman looked up, and looking just as surprised as her. Blushing furiously, Hanamaru was thankful, as the train began stopping. Hurrying off, she bowed her head down and ran past. Quickly running off the train, she cursed herself. 

Getting all flustered like that was something she hated to do. It wasn't her fault that there were so many pretty women in the city. Stepping out into the street, Hanamaru looked down at the address once more, confirming her surroundings. Thankfully, the apartment complex was near the station, so it wasn't too far of a walk. However, looking around worriedly, she saw that the streets were mostly empty. Besides a few mysterious strangers here and there, the street was devoid of any life. Why would they send a student somewhere like this?

Reaching the complex, Hanamaru slowly opened the door. Looking inside, she saw a worn down reception desk with no receptionist, and an elevator that seemed like it would collapse at any moment. Seeing how the wallpaper was chipping off the wall, she had to wonder if this really was the right place. Entering the elevator, she pressed the button for the second floor, and prayed that everything wouldn't collapse on itself. The elevator door opening, Hanamaru froze as she heard shouting come from a room not too far down the hall.

"Why am I only learning about this now!?"  
A few muffled voices followed, along with some nervous responses. Gulping, she slowly walked down the hall, before turning the corner and seeing something that made her freeze in terror. Around the room she was supposed to meet for her internship, there was police tape. Cops moved in and out of the room with different tools, yelling occasionally. Red stained the floor, and she feared to guess what it could possibly be.

"M-Ma'am, they didn't find out until this afternoon." A nervous man backed out of the room, followed by... 

Hanamaru stopped thinking. Considering leaving and quitting school forever, she had to wonder. Was this just bad luck? Walking out of the room was a tall stern looking woman with cold green eyes and black flowing hair that only made her seem that much more imposing. The woman turned and looked at her in confusion, before sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose. 

"Shit, the internship was today."

Confirming her suspicions, Hanamaru paled and realized something. Today was the last day of her peaceful life. This woman was Dia Kurosawa, the famous detective, who she was assigned to work with for the whole rest of the month.

And they were in the middle of a crime scene.

Chapter 1, Prologue, Fin.


	2. First Assignment

Hanamaru stared at the bloodstained photo that rested on the windowsill. The girl in the photo was much younger and happy. Looking at her now...

She looked at the body bag, suppressing the urge vomit. Looking away, she shifted her sights to the rest of the room. An officer was holding a bloody knife, inspecting it before walking out the room. The shattered table was covered with blood, and if the report she heard was right, then the woman must've crashed into it during the struggle. 

Glancing at the corpse once more, she paled, before walking back out into the hallway. What monster would do that to someone? 

"Hey, shorty, did you find anything?" She turned to see Dia Kurosawa's cold, calculating eyes. They seemed to beckoning to her, forcing her to answer, and it took everything for Hanamaru not to look away. 

"J-Just the condition of the body. S-She had a family. And I saw the murder weapon."

Seeming satisfied with her answer for now, Dia turned and started for the forensic officer. Wordlessly, she followed. Walking past many policemen, Hanamaru looked around curiously. Why were there so many officers at the scene? Surely they wouldn't need this many people for such an obvious murder. After all, they had left a murder weapon and everything.

"Why did they bring so many people on the scene?" Voicing her concerns, Hanamaru mustered up the courage, gauging the detective's reaction. She just couldn't understand her personality, and the more she tried the less she understood.

"Hell if I know. That's what I'm trying to figure out." Dia answered briskly, only glancing back before marching on. Hanamaru frowned. Could she ever get a straight answer out of this woman? However, a quiet whisper from Dia never reached her ears.

"Though I can guess why they called me...."

They finally stopped, and Hanamaru peeked over the detective's shoulder to see who they were meeting. A redhead who seemed older than her, though not by much, was currently looking at some markings on the wall. Her red hair was shoulder length, and while it was a darker shade, it reminded Hanamaru of Ruby, though this girl seemed a lot more angrier. 

Her purple eyes were focused, and Hanamaru could feel herself getting lost in them. Noticing her staring, the redhead looked at her in surprise. "Are you supposed to be here, little girl?" 

Not even bothered by the fact that she was called a little girl by someone who didn't seem much older, Hanamaru struggled to get words out.

"She's with me, Doctor Nishikino." 

Finally noticing Dia, her previously calm face turned into a scowl. 

"What took so long? And who's this?" 

Dia scratched her head, sighing. "Just someone who's here for an internship." 

The woman raised an eyebrow. "A student?" Walking up to her, the woman extended her hand and smiled. Snapping out of her trance, Hanamaru reached out as well. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Maki Nishikino, though Maki is fine."

Grasping her hand, Hanamaru smiled back. "I'm Hanamaru Kunikida, nice to meet you, Maki." 

Coughing, Dia shook her head. "Can we get on with this?" Glaring at her once again, Maki nodded at the markings on the wall. "I assume you know what this is?" 

Dia nodded in confirmation, her cold eyes narrowing. Hanamaru looked at the marks curiously. It looked like red paint was smeared on the wall, forming a frighteningly realistic heart. "This is..?"

"Heartbreak." Dia answered firmly.

Though not an official name, that's the name everyone had given to them, and so they took it in stride. Even if you had just moved here, you would know, and fear, the name Mari Ohara. 

Hanamaru shuddered. She had heard rumors about Mari. They said that she had henchmen all over the city, waiting to collect debts from the weak and helpless. Evading the police for more than 10 years, it was a miracle Hanamaru was even alive after living on the street for so long.

"T-They did that?" Remembering the condition of the body, Hanamaru paled. Nodding, Maki looked at the markings, her eyes focused as they were before. "The woman was stabbed in the leg, and there were cut marks from her crash in the table."

She began walking, gesturing for them to follow. "She was shot in the head point blank." Maki continued her walk and talk.  
"Though there was no gun at the crime scene, so the murderer must've taken it with them." Glancing at the detective, Hanamaru could see how focused she was. Her eyes were always calculating possibilities. 

Arriving at the room again, Maki nodded towards the two. "Do your thing, detective." Dia stopped, before turning to face Hanamaru. Her emerald eyes narrowed, and she smirked.

"I'm not the detective this time, doctor."

 

-  
A few hours earlier....

"W-Woah, sorry!" 

Sprinting through the city, Chika looked down at her watch, trying to go even faster than she currently was. It was still about the time that school was let out, so there were students and workers in the city, making it that much harder for her.

Taking out the now crushed index card from her pocket, Chika felt her lungs burn and huffed as angrily as she could. Well, in her situation. 

"Why did they have to make the location so darn far?!" Especially so soon after dismissal. At the pace she was going, she would only just barely make it. Sure, she was meeting for her internship at the police station, but right when she got out of school? She wanted time to slack off at least! 

Seeing the police station across the street, Chika sighed in relief. Just on time. Making one last effort, she sprinted across the street with all her might. 

Slamming the door open, she looked around, drenched in sweat. Hearing someone slowly clap, she turned to see a woman with darker orange hair and deep blue eyes, casually sitting on one of the chairs. 

"Just in time, Chika-chan." The woman smiled, standing up and looking at her own watch. Walking up to her, the woman raised an eyebrow at her sweat covered shirt. Looking down in embarrassment, Chika scratched her head. 

"Sorry, I didn't have time to change or shower." Internally glaring at the lady, Chika couldn't help but be ticked off at her carefree attitude. Who did she think she was? As if reading her mind, the woman nodded towards the door and began speaking.

"Let's talk in the car, we have somewhere to go." Tossing her something, Chika just barely managed to grab it. Looking down, she frowned as she realized what it was. She was just given a gun. 

Jogging to catch up, she strapped the gun to her belt. Though she didn't want to have to use it on anyone, Chika was prepared just in case. After all, while her observation skills were on par with Hanamaru's, her inability to notice most little things probably wouldn't be helpful in some cases.

So, she decided to practice more offensive abilities, such as hand to hand combat and shooting. Hanamaru wasn't very athletic, and she wasn't afraid to show it, so Chika had wanted to make up for it with her own skills. Hopefully her friend wouldn't be going through too much.

Entering the police car, Chika saw the woman say something in a walkie talkie before entering. After starting the car, and a few minutes of silent driving, the woman began to speak. 

"Sorry for the sudden summoning, decided to test you some. So, y'know, I could make sure you were serious." Remaining silent, Chika only raised an eyebrow, before turning to look out the window again. 

Chuckling, the woman smiled slyly. "Anyway, my name's Honoka Kousaka, and you'll be working for me." 

Looking at her in surprise, Chika nearly leapt out of her chair. "W-W-Wait, you're Honoka?!" 

Honoka Kousaka was a name not many people would recognize. However, someone who kept up with the news would know...

"Dia Kurosawa's partner? Yep, that's me." Honoka was impressed. Despite her first impressions, this Chika girl was far smarter then she had initially thought. Not only had she arrived on time, but she also knew who her background and the people she knew. She was well informed, and pretty athletic.

Smart girl. 

However, this next assignment would challenge her even further. Arriving at a hotel, Chika stepped out the car, noticing an abundance of officers around the perimeter. Along with the police tape around as well, she could guess what was going on. 

A panicked officer ran up to Honoka, sighing in relief. "T-Thank god you're here, they have a hostage!" 

"Calm down, start from the beginning." 

Taking deep breaths, he nodded, starting slower. "T-Three thugs shot up the hotel, demanding pay from one of the guest. Thankfully, everyone was evacuated, except for the guest they came for. So-"

"You sent an officer in to rescue them, and then they got taken hostage. I bet they're demanding even more money now that they've got a cop." Honoka finished, before frowning and looking around. It looked like they had the place surrounded, so thankfully the thugs wouldn't have a way to get out.

"Why are there so many cops here? Looks like they came here for a goddamn orgy." 

The officer looked away uncomfortably, before answering.

"Ma'am, intel says they're part of the Heartbreak gang."

The air froze, and Chika knew why. The most feared gang in the whole city, and the two of them were the ones called in to help. However, Honoka narrowed her eyes, grinning. 

"That's our cue then. Let's go save some hostages, Chika-chan!"

It felt like everything froze, and Chika stared at her like she was crazy. Her first assignment was stopping thugs from one of the most dangerous gangs. It seemed like the officer agreed with her sentiment as well, seeing as how he also looked at her like she was insane.

"M-Ma'am, no offense, but isn't this girl just a student? Can we really send her in?"

Honoka turned and smiled slyly at Chika. Her eyes seemed to tease her. Will you save them? Or are you going to run away? And it was honestly pissing her off.

"I'll go." 

The cop looked at her in surprise, and Honoka clapped, satisfied. Patting her shoulder, she began walking around the perimeter, and Chika could tell that she was looking for a way in. Despite Honoka's infuriating personality, she really was a bonafide detective, and the situation finally began to set in. 

Chika was responsible for two human lives, and if she messed up even a little, they would die. Heck, if she messed up, both her and Honoka could be killed too. Looking up at the hotel nervously, she exhaled. Then whatever she did, she would make sure that no one would get hurt. 

"Chika-chan, I found a way in!" Honoka pointed to a back door, before nodding towards it and entering. Before Chika could follow, the officer from before stopped her. "W-Wait, Chika right?"

She nodded, looking at him in confusion. Did he run all the way from where they were before? If so, what he had to say must've been urgent. He looked around nervously, as if scared that someone might've been listening.

"Be careful around Kousaka-san, she takes very big risks when she's on the job. A-Anyway, good luck." It seemed like he had more to say, but he simply waved and walked away. Chika had no time to consider his words, as she realized that Honoka must've been waiting for her.

She shook her head, taking out a pen and quickly writing a note on her arm to tell Hanamaru about this crazy mission later. It was a habit of sorts, and it gave her a little bit of comfort. Hopefully she'd be able to tell this story soon. Well, if she survived.

Taking one last deep breath, she entered the hotel.

When she entered, the first thing she noticed was Honoka. Unlike before, the older woman was now completely focused and serious. Noticing Chika, she beckoned her behind the corner wall. They were currently in a narrow hallway, in what looked like a storage area. 

"According to intel, the hostages should be on the ground level. If that's the case, then the thugs should be down here as well." Honoka lowered her voice to a whisper. Even though she had expected this of Dia Kurosawa's partner, it still surprised Chika how well prepared the woman was.

Chika suddenly frowned. "Wait, if they wanted a ransom for all of this, wouldn't they position someone on a higher floor to keep a lookout?" After all, the first floor of the hotel had no real vantage point, so they wouldn't be able to tell if the cops were going to storm the place. Well, unless....

Honoka looked at her, pleasantly surprised by her observation. Of course, she had thought of that possibility as well, and would've of point it out if Chika hadn't, punishing her later for her carelessness.

"Good! We can use that to our advantage. They must've positioned at least one person on one of the upper floors, leaving two others plus the hostages down here." Honoka's eyes lit up, and Chika could see the love and passion she put into her work. Even if they could potentially die, it was impressive.

Chika's heart sank as the older woman flashed her a sly smile. She had learned in the short time they had been together, that when she did that, nothing good would happen. 

"So, I'm thinking that you should go check the upper floors for their recon, while I go take down the other two and save the hostages!"

Yep, just as she had expected. In response to Chika's stunned face, Honoka placed a hand on her shoulder and chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure they wouldn't keep their strongest man on lookout. Plus, I can tell you've had training, so I'm not too worried."

That certainly didn't help. 

However, she didn't have much time to reflect, as Honoka began moving through the halls, before arriving at a crossroad. One way led upstairs towards the upper floors, and one led to the lobby area. 

Chuckling, Honoka gestured towards the stairs, tossing her a pair of handcuffs. Flashing her one last smile, she headed towards the lobby, leaving Chika alone. Gulping, she grabbed the gun from her belt, strapped the handcuffs there in its place, and glanced nervously towards the stairs. It would be unknown territory from now on, and she had no back up. Praying that there were no ninjas lying in wait, she started up the stairs.

Walking through the halls, gun ready, Chika resisted the urge to just yell in frustration. Everything was just moving so quickly, and she had no time for breaks. Pushing her feelings aside, she listened for any sound that could potentially be a murderer. In close quarter hallways like this, if some strong adult came out of nowhere, Chika would be easily overpowered. 

She didn't have only other weapons besides her gun, and she wasn't even sure if she had the guts to shoot someone. So, the best she could hope for was quickly knocking out her opponent. In the silence, a loud smashing made Chika nearly jump out of her skin. Holding up her gun, she began listening for where the sound had come from.

"Damn. Ah, who cares, not like anyone's going to be using that anymore." 

A raspy male voice came from a room not too far from where she was, and Chika exhaled and walked up to the door in question. Peering through the peephole, she could see a thin man, looking down at a broken mirror and scratching his head. It seems like he broke it by mistake, thankfully. Now she didn't have to look any further. 

Though this posed a new problem. What did she do now? The man didn't seem too strong, as a matter of fact, he seemed weaker then she was. But what if he had a gun? If she just walked in there now she would shot in no time. 

Chika looked at the gun in her hands. Was it strong enough to shoot through the door? She shook her head. There was no time for theories, she needed something she knew would work. Exhaling, she decided on a strategy. Well, a strategy that counted on her skills, but a strategy nonetheless.

First, she would aim for his shoulder. Shooting him there would not only surprise him, but also make his aim worse if he had a weapon. After that, she would rush him and knock him out. It seemed easy enough, right? Looking at her shaking hand, Chika gripped the gun tighter. This was what she signed up for. And she was going to complete the mission.

She started slowly opening the door, before kicking it fully open, and running in.

"What the-"

The man's eyes widened, and time seems to stop as Chika took aim. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the man reach around his back. "His right hand!", she thought. Aiming, she fired. Time moved again, and her eyes widened. Wincing, she realized what had happened. Her gun was completely destroyed. Blood running down her hand, Chika glared.

The man grinned as he lowered the gun in his left hand. "What's wrong, princess?" Instincts kicking in, Chika bolted towards him. She wouldn't let him fire another shot! Before he could lift his gun again, she was already upon him. Reaching for the gun, they began wrestling for control.

As she had suspected before, he wasn't very strong. If it went on like it was, Chika would overpower him in no time. However, this man had another surprise for her. Kicking her legs from underneath her, the man gave one last pull for the gun. 

Gritting her teeth, Chika knew that this would be her last chance. Using the momentum of her fall, she pushed the man's legs from under him, making him fall forward as well, hitting his head on the dresser.

Dropping the gun, blood dripping down his face, the man recovered quickly, flying into a fit of rage. "You fucking bitch!" Leaping towards her, the man tackled her to the ground. Grimacing, Chika felt the shards of glass dig into her back as she struggled to get him off. Realizing that he now had the advantage, Chika felt the man's hands reach around her throat, and looked around frantically for something to defend herself with.

Noticing the writing on her arm, she reached into her pocket, praying that it was still there. Grabbing the pen out of her pocket, she jabbed it into his eye, making him release his grip immediately. "AHHH, FUCK!" As he cried out in pain, grasping his now bleeding eye, Chika grabbed the gun off the ground and slammed it against his head as hard she could.

After two or three hits, everything was silent. 

Breathing heavily, Chika couldn't believe it. Looking around the room, she saw the destruction of their struggle and her legs wobbled. Sitting on the bed she resisted the urge to lay down, knowing that the shards of glass embedded in her back wouldn't allow her any comfort. Steadily getting up, she propped the man up and restrained him with the handcuffs.

Slowly but surely, Chika dragged him through the halls, praying that Honoka had done her part of the mission. Reaching the hallway that led to lobby, after struggling to drag the unconscious thug, her eyes widened in amazement. 

The previously empty lobby was filled with cops, who were currently questioning and comforting one of the hostages. What really amazed her was Honoka, who had both of the thugs cuffed and ready for arrest. She was currently talking to them, eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed. 

"H-Honoka-san!" Noticing Chika, her eyes widened, and she ran up to the younger, beat up girl. Noticing the handcuffed man next to her, she nodded, impressed. 

"Good job Chika-chan! Thanks to you, we saved someone today." Honoka's eyes became darker, and she glanced back.

"Though only the cop. The man was already dead when I found him. But!" She wagged her finger, a small grin returning to her face.

"We found the location of the another victim. Hopefully, we can get some data about Heartbreak. Oh, and trust me we will. After all, Dia will be the one on the case!" Honoka seemed really proud, though Chika really couldn't see a reason why. She didn't do anything except get beat up by some scrawny dude.

Suddenly, the lights began dimming, and Chika felt her eyes grow heavy.

"Huh? Chika-chan?"

Suddenly, she became painfully aware of the glass embedded in her back, and began wobbling. Unable to hold herself up, she fell forward, losing consciousness.

"Chika-chan!" 

Barely catching the young girl, Honoka grimaced as she saw the damage done. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send her alone. Well, not that it mattered. Taking out her phone, she dialed a number.

"Hey, Dia-chan? Yep, I took care of it. We found the location of another victim too. Haha, yeah, I had help from my intern. Wait, you didn't know about the internship?! You're just gonna let them meet you at the crime scene? That's kind of harsh don'tcha think? Hey, my intern is fine, no damage done!" 

 

-  
Now...

Hanamaru looked around the room. Despite being in here only moments before, she had to look even harder. Every little detail would help in the investigation. Dia had given her the task of finding out how the murder had went down, saying to keep an open mind.

Though how could she? It was obvious what had occurred. The woman was thrown into the table, shattering it, and was then shot. All in one night. What more did she want? 

Hanamaru's eyes widened, as she realized something. If the murder took place in the middle of the night, how did no one hear any commotion at all? The cops were questioning neighbors, and Hanamaru could hear their conversations, though muffled they were. 

So, if something as simple as a conversation could be heard through the wall, how did no one hear a gun go off? Even if the weapon was suppressed, it would've loud enough to draw attention to it. The table breaking would've been something waved off, but a shot would've drawn suspicion. 

She closed her eyes, thinking. No one could miss the sound of a gun. Unless there was something that drew attention away from the murder, the body would've been discovered the same day it happened, instead of a day later. But what could mask the sound of death?

From the doorway, Dia watched, her cold eyes focusing on the student's task. Having already pieced together the mystery, she was interested in what the girl could do. After all, Hanamaru was recommended to her by an old colleague, albeit a drunk colleague at the time. Well, maybe all the time.

Maki watched as well, worry clear on her face. "Do you really think she should be doing this?" Despite the fact that Hanamaru seemed sweet, she didn't know if trusting a student with a sensitive murder case was a good idea. 

"If she can't, then she's fired. Simple as that." Dia replied firmly, no pity in her eyes. Maki bit her lip nervously, glancing at the young girl. She felt sorry for her, getting stuck with Dia Kurosawa was more a curse than a blessing. She would know, after working with her for so long.

"Good luck, Hanamaru-chan..." She whispered.

Hanamaru looked out the window. A commotion inside probably wasn't common in this area, so whatever had masked the sound of the gun must've been outside. Though whatever it was would have to be louder than a gunshot. 

Rain wasn't common this late in the year, so anything weather related was out of the picture. A car? No, cars never passed through this area, and if one did, it'd have to be owned by someone with lots of money. Considering the engine would have to be loud, only rich folk would show off their loud, flashy cars, and she doubted that someone would be driving through the neighborhood the exact time of the murder.

Also, considering that if something like that did occur, people living in the apartment would obviously point it out, making whoever drove the car a suspect. So, if the murderer didn't want to get caught, they'd probably do it to something that normally occurred in this area. 

The station often had commotion, but she doubted that it would be loud enough to cover up a gunshot. Wait. Hanamaru's eyes widened, and ran up to window, looking up. As she expected, the station was nearby, but even closer was....

"The train tracks!" She shouted in excitement. The train was always on the move, so planning the murder at a time where the train came by the area was the perfect cover up. Not only would it mask the sound of the gun, it would avoid all suspicion of the noises. In the middle of the night, the train came through this neighborhood three times. 9:00, 12:00, and 2:00. 

As if just on time, the train came by, confirming her suspicions. To make sure, she wordlessly walked up to Dia, taking her gun and walking to the center of the room. Aiming up, she fired. Unlike a suppressed weapon, the noise was louder, but...

A few seconds of waiting confirmed it. No one had heard the shot, save for the ones inside the room. The train passed by, and they were left in silence. Hanamaru looked at Dia straight in the eyes, all fear gone. Giving back her gun, she walked past, grinning at Maki. 

"Hey, shorty." She turned around, raising an eyebrow. 

Dia stared at her a bit, before a small, barely noticeable smile appeared on her face.

"Come to the police station after school tomorrow." 

Hanamaru's eyes widened, and she grinned, before running out of the room, excited for the day to come.

The two woman were left alone, and Maki smiled slyly at Dia. "Did you go easy on her?" Ignoring her, the older woman looked around the room. They knew the method of how they got away will their kills. With that in mind, their next investigation would have to take place under the railroads. That would the ideal place for Heartbreak to hide.

"No, I didn't." Answering Maki's previous question from before, Dia flashed a rare smile. That student intrigued her. She seemed nervous, but when she got into it, she was really daring. Well, to say the least. With enough training, she'd be an impressive detective.

Making a face, Maki turned away. "You should really stick with scowling. Smiling doesn't suit you." Before Dia could give a retort, an officer ran into the room. 

"Kurosawa-san! There's an urgent message for you!" Taking the phone from his hand, Dia raised an eyebrow. This wasn't from anyone she knew, and it surely wasn't an official call. Raising the phone to her ear, she answered.

"Hello?" 

A muffled sound came from the other line, before she heard a woman's scared voice.

"H-Help me, please! They won't let me go, and I can't-"

The line cut, and Dia stared at the phone in her hand, stunned. Sighing, she scratched her head.

"Well, this is going to be a rough week..."

 

Chapter 2, First Assignment, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, got really into writing this story. Plus, this consisted of my first action scene I've ever written. So..... feedback? Btw, An Adventure of Love and Confusion coming soon. Sad stuff man.


	3. A New Danger

"Ugh..." 

Waking up, Hanamaru scratched head with a yawn. Turning off her alarm, she grabbed her phone, looking at the time. After her first assignment the night before, she had immediately headed home, collapsing instantly. 

She hadn't realized how much energy she had used, but she was surely feeling it now. Looking around groggily, Hanamaru considered going back to sleep, but decided against it. Hearing a noise from the kitchen, she raised an eyebrow. Either someone had broken in, or Rin had gotten up early. 

Thinking about it, her first guess was more likely than the second. Grabbing the nearest thing she had, a book, she headed for the kitchen cautiously. Arriving wearily, she saw Rin humming, putting down cups of ramen on the table. Staring at her, Hanamaru dropped her book, causing the older girl to look up in surprise.

Grinning at her, Rin waved happily. "About time you got up. Sit down and eat!" Sitting down in confusion, Hanamaru stared at her. Was this the same lazy girl who always got drunk every moment she had? Was she still dreaming? A pinch to her cheek confirmed that it wasn't. 

"Why, actually, HOW did you wake up so early, Rin-san?" The ginger looked offended for a moment, before puffing her cheeks in mock anger. 

"I'll have you know, I can wake up whenever I want. I just choose not to most of the time." Rin began gobbling noodles in her rage, and Hanamaru shrugged, eating as well. In the comfortable silence, she looked up at Rin. 

The girl was currently slurping noodles like there was no tomorrow, occasionally stopping to wipe her mouth, before going at it once more. Hanamaru smiled. One thing she loved was seeing Rin happy. The girl radiated so much happiness, yet she could be demanding and serious when she needed to be.

"So, how was the first day of the internship? I saw how exhausted you were last night." Snapping out of her thoughts, Hanamaru closed her eyes, considering the question. Well, she didn't love it, though she did solve something. She also met Maki as well, so it wasn't too bad.

"Well, I figured something out, and I'm proud of that. But, it was my first time seeing a corpse, and seeing one that was cold...." She didn't mean to drag on, but Hanamaru still regretted the fact that the woman couldn't have been saved earlier. Biting her lip, she felt tears well up.

Seeing her regret, Rin held her hand. "There's no point in thinking about what already happened. Just use what you have to save the next person." Looking at Rin's comforting smile, Hanamaru nodded, wiping her tears away.

"Now! Let's get on with the meal! You're suppose to be happy when eating ramen!" Clapping her hand, Rin began digging in again, making Hanamaru giggle. Finishing up her breakfast, she took a quick shower, and bid her guardian farewell. 

A good start to a good day.

 

-  
Walking into the classroom, Hanamaru saw her partner, slouched over on the desk. Sitting down next to her, she looked at her curiously. Unlike she was usually, Chika seemed more low energy. As a matter of fact, she seemed like she was asleep.

Slapping her back, she expected to see the other girl look up, but unexpectedly, Chika cried in pain, nearly jumping out of her chair. Everyone stared at her for a moment, before she murmured a quick apology, sitting back down. It was probably her imagination, but it looked like she was wiping my tears of pain from her eyes.

"Good morning?"

Chika looked up, attempting a smile.  
"M-Morning.."

Hanamaru thought she had a rough time, but apparently her friend had gone through something much worse. 

"Um, how was the internship?" Despite obviously knowing the answer to the question, Hanamaru asked her tentatively. Chika grimaced, showing her the bandaged hand.

"Well, I got shot in the hand. And a mirror attacked me." At her confused expression, Chika pointed to her back. Realizing what she meant, Hanamaru paled and grimaced.

"O-Oh, sorry." 

Chika nodded, putting her head back down. Before Hanamaru could voice her experience, the teacher walked in. The room became silent as he looked around. 

"It seems like most of you had quite a time yesterday." He smiled as everyone began murmuring. Some in excitement, and some in pain. Well, in Chika's case, excruciating pain. 

"And while some people have already decided to quit their internships, there are some who, despite the troubles of the first day, are continuing." Hanamaru frowned. She wasn't certain, but it seemed like that was pointed towards her and Chika's general area. 

"Of course, it's only the second day, and even if it goes wrong and you feel like giving up, hang in there." 

After his rejuvenating speech, the day continued, and after another short class, Hanamaru was ready for her next assignment. Putting a reassuring hand on her partner's shoulder, she smiled. 

"Hey, I don't know what happened yesterday, but tell me all about it later, ok?" 

Standing up, Chika nodded and grinned. "Yeah, you too." 

The two walked out the door together. Going their separate ways, the two grinned at each once more. 

However, despite their smiles, there was the lingering dread and fear of what was to come.

 

-  
It was dark. Walking through the tunnels, the woman sighed in annoyance. Did they have to make their base so far? In the dark too? If she wanted to go out and buy anything, she'd have to walk nearly an hour just to get it. If it was up to her, they'd be closer to society. They could deal with anyone in their way easily. 

"Tch. But of course that witch has us here in the shadows." Murmuring, she scratched her head. Her boss wasn't really straight in the head most times. Hearing the boom of a train, the woman quickly took cover. This was another reason she hated their current hideout.

There were two ways to access it. One was the underground subway. Usually filled with citizens and gangs alike, it was a dangerous place to go to alone. Well, unless you were looking to get robbed. While it was the simplest way, it also held the most risk. 

The other way was the one she was currently in. This one was more secretive. Coming from a trusted partner of the cause, it was considerably more safer. When the train was out of sight, she continued on her way.

Finally seeing the opening in sight, she shielded her eyes. "This is honestly such a pain.."

In the center of the opening was a throne of sorts. Sitting in the chair was a blonde woman who, without a care in the world, was eating an apple. Around her were the most dangerous people in the city. Murderers and thieves all in one place, and the person leading them was this woman. 

"You know, eating an apple somehow makes you seem like even more of an asshole then you already are. It pisses me off."

Mari Ohara's carefree expression turned into a glare, before she suddenly burst in laughter. When she finished, she was wiping tears out of her eyes.

"S-Sorry, Nico-cchi, but I totally knew you were going to say that!" Mari turned to face someone, grinning. The man sighed and handed her a few dollar bills. 

Glaring, Nico began marching up to her. "I'm gonna kill you!" 

"W-Wait, Yazawa-senpai!" A redhead stepped in front of her, amber eyes pleading her to stop. Nico lowered her eyes, glaring at the girl before sighing and looking away.

"Riko, how many times have I told you not to call me senpai? We're all killers here for god's sake, this isn't a school." Mari nodded repeatedly, mouth stuffed with apple. 

"Hmfhmhh!" 

Nico glared her. God help them all.  
"Swallow your damn food!" 

Gulping, Mari nodded her head proudly. "Yes! Though you two are my most trusted, everyone is equal here!" She smiled, standing up. Shuddering, Riko nodded nervously. 

Nico could understand the redhead's fear. Despite their leaders carefree behavior, there was a lingering evil behind her smile. It was enough to make anyone shudder. 

"B-But, why am I one of your most trusted, Mari-senpai?" Riko asked, playing with her hair nervously. She sure did move a lot, Nico noticed.

Ignoring the use of "senpai", Mari's smile became genuinely caring. "Because you're one of the most talented people here, Riko." Before the younger girl could inquire about it, Mari turned to Nico. 

"So, did you silence our little friend?" 

Nico sighed. She was such a slave driver. "Yeah, yeah. She didn't manage to call anyone, and I doubt she'll tell anyone about us anyway." 

Mari sat back down, biting in her apple. They had a close call, but no one would guess who they were using.

"Why do we need her anyway?" 

Mari smiled, turning to face the two.  
"Well, who doesn't love a good drama?"

 

-  
Chika walked towards the police station casually. Unlike the last time, she decided to take it a little more easy. When she had woken up in the morning, Honoka had called, saying to meet her outside the station instead of inside. She said their next assignment wasn't as rough as the last, and not to worry about it.

Of course, the fact that she was hospitalized on her first day of the internship didn't really convince Chika. While she didn't doubt Honoka's abilities in anyway, she still didn't really trust her. 

It probably wouldn't be good to distrust her though. As long as they were working together, she'd have to rely on Honoka. 

Making it to the station, she saw the familiar ginger. Gulping, Chika prepared herself. For all she knew they'd go and take down a drug cartel or something. And considering that she was still injured from the day before..

Chika grimaced as she touched her back. Anything too rough would reopen her wounds.

Walking up to her, Chika looked at Honoka curiously. Her usually confidence was replaced with worry, and even a tinge of fear, as Honoka was talking on the phone. It seemed as if she was talking to someone important because even from where she was, Chika could see Honoka's panicked expression. 

".....you don't have to worry about anything! I had to work late last night, and Kotori-chan called too!" As Chika crept closer, she could almost physically feel the anger coming from the phone, and she shivered. Who was she talking to? 

Honoka began pacing around. "I'm sorry you had already made dinner, but I swear I'll be home tonight." She bit her lip, and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I'll see you tonight, okay? Bye." Honoka put her phone in her pocket and sighed. Seeing Chika, she smiled. 

"Eavesdrop much?" 

Ignoring her teasing, Chika nodded. "Who was that?" She inquired. "Your girlfriend?" Honoka blushed and waved her hands. 

"N-No! Just a friend I'm living with. We've known each other for a while now." She began walking and waved her over. 

Chika walked with her, a curious look in her eye. Who could make Honoka that scared? No one she knew that's for sure. Noticing her probing look, Honoka scratched her head. 

"Well, she just worries about me a lot. Plus, I promised to come home yesterday for dinner, but there were some complications." Chika raised an eyebrow, and the older girl chuckled. "As you know."

Honoka stopped walking, and grinned at her. "Well, despite how uptight she is, she'll kill me if I don't make it home tonight, so let's do our best!" Chika smiled back and nodded. She learned a bit more about this mysterious woman, and it wasn't all bad.

And finally, after a few more minutes of walking, they arrived. 

Chika looked at the place in confusion. "A ramen shop?" She never knew that a ramen place existed in this city. Honoka grinned at her, proud for some reason.

"Yep! Since we already did so much yesterday, this will be our first stop." She walked inside, gesturing for Chika to follow. "I'll give you the situation here, and then we'll move out. While I'm positive we probably won't run into any trouble, don't eat so much." 

Chika nodded and the two ordered and sat down. "So, um, what are we doing today?"

"Well, yesterday my partner got a phone call from an unknown number." Honoka's face became serious as she began explaining. "It was a woman calling for help, and after we traced the call we found out where it came from." 

The older woman bit her lip, worried. "It came from the SI Theater." Chika looked at her in surprise. The SI Theater was where the most famous actors did musicals and the occasional play. It didn't sound like much, but it was one of the most popular attractions in the city.

Honoka shook her head. "Anyway, after we eat, we'll head over there to investigate. Keep our heads down and such. Dia-chan should be joining us too." She attempted a smile, and Chika couldn't help but wonder, was there someone at the theater Honoka was worried about?

As the two ate, she couldn't help but realize just how mysterious the detective really was.

 

-  
Hanamaru walked through the doors of the station nervously. She had only been here once before during her first year, and it was for a field trip. It was when she was young as well, so much of the stuff she saw never really sunk in. 

So, it was a new experience that was more frightening than fun. 

Seeing the busy workplace, she walked up to the front desk, nodding nervously at cops that happened to look at her. A nice looking woman noticed her and smiled sweetly. "What are you doing here?" 

Was she being treated like a child again? Hanamaru fidgeted, before pulling out her badge that Dia had given her. She had said that it was a "temporary official badge" so it should get her into the station. 

"U-Um, I'm here to see Dia Kurosawa?" The woman's face changed to confusion, before quickly switching back to a smile. "Of course! She should be waiting for you in the back." As Hanamaru started walking towards the back area, she couldn't help but notice a slimmer of pity from the woman's face.

Grimacing, she made her way through the station. No had noticed her yet, which was good. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention, and the sole fact that she was working with Dia Kurosawa was enough already. 

A hand grabbed her shoulder, making her nearly jump out of her skin. Oh god, was she going to die here? Or worse, get arrested?

"Excuse me miss, but are you supposed to be here?" This voice was different. It didn't treat her as a child, but as a trespasser. And Hanamaru felt nothing but fear. Gulping, she turned around and gasped.

Eyes colder than ice stared straight into her soul. It was completely different from Dia's, yet she couldn't stop staring. Long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, and her crystal blue eyes were clear. 

It was strange, however. Despite the clear hostility and the woman's lack of emotion in her eyes, Hanamaru saw loneliness. It was captivating. 

"Miss?" The glare was replaced with worry, and Hanamaru snapped out of her trance. Face red, she tried her best to reply. "I-I'm here to see Dia-san. F-F-For the internship." 

And just like that, the woman smiled apologetically and scratched the back of her head. "Really? Sorry about that. You seem a little young though. Even for a student you're pretty short." She suddenly looked embarrassed. 

"S-Sorry, you must get that a lot." Hanamaru stared at her, before a smile spread across her face. "It's no problem. I'm used to it." 

A man ran up in a panic. "Captain, we've got a call for you." The woman shook her head and sighed. Smiling apologetically, she turned away. "It was nice to meet you, don't let Dia wear you out too much, okay?" The woman waved, walking away and leaving her alone.

Hanamaru stood there, staring at the spot where the woman was. What a strange woman, she thought. After a moment, she suddenly realized something. Captain? 

She paled, and began walking towards Dia's office. Yeah, she wouldn't tell anyone about what had happened. Entering the office, Hanamaru saw the older woman leaning back in her chair, eyes closed.

"D-Dia-san?" Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up. 

"Perfect, you're here." Dia stood up, pointing at a white board in the room. The board was covered in writing about Heartbreak, possible hideouts, and victims to their attacks. Hanamaru looked at it, stunned. There was so much detail. How long was Dia working on this case?

"Today, we'll head out to the SI Theater to investigate a phone call I got last night." Dia grabbed her coat and keys and walked out the office. 

"W-Wait!" Hanamaru began running after her. The SI Theater? Phone call? Before she could ask any questions, Dia was out the door. Hanamaru glared and chased her. Why did she always have such an attitude?

 

-  
The streets were fairly empty, despite it being the afternoon. Riko looked around nervously, hoping no one would recognize her as someone from Heartbreak. Well, since she was fairly new, no one should even know who she was. That's what Mari told her at least. 

She looked at her gps on her phone and looked at the buildings around her in worry. She had never really been outside before, and considering that this was her first real assignment, there was a lot of pressure on her. 

Riko could clearly remember what Mari had told her to do. Check in with their contact at the theater. Even though it was something simple, she would do all she could to complete it. 

Despite it though, she couldn't understand why Mari had put so much trust into her. She had stated before that Riko was one of her most trusted, but why? She had joined by chance, and she wasn't particularly fond of killing people. As a matter of fact she hadn't killed anyone before.

Putting a hand over the knife in her pocket, she sighed. She had some practice with weapons. Nico even said that she was exceptional, but if you didn't have the guts to kill anyone, what good would skill do? At best, she would try to just injure anyone who got in her way.

Though Nico wouldn't really approve of that, it was all she could do. 

Riko arrived at the entrance of the theater. After checking the parking lot, she saw that no one particularly important was waiting. After all, there would be trouble if any cops had shown up. It wasn't likely though. No information could be leaked, and no one knew that Heartbreak was using someone from the theater.

Walking through the entryway, Riko looked down at her attire with a frown. She wasn't used to wearing anything fancy, but the suit and tie was something that fit with the atmosphere of the theater. Pulling out her phone again, Riko looked at the photo of their supposed contact.

Yoshiko Tsushima. A young, popular actress. Her long black hair and pink eyes attracted many, earning her the name Yohane by her fans. Despite that, she was mysterious and not many people knew about her personal life.

It was a perfect target for them, yet Mari had suggested that instead of the usual job, they should exploit the connection they had with the famous actress. So, with the threat of death hanging above her head, the actress provided them with information. There were many flaws with the plan, Riko could name at least five. 

But, she decided to trust Mari. After all, why wouldn't you trust the person who saved your life?

The theater was empty. Since it was, Riko figured that the actors and actresses would be backstage. Probably preparing for a show. She knocked on the door, and entered. As she looked inside, she immediately saw two women.

One was Yoshiko, and the other was a woman who, despite having ashen hair, was relatively young. One look told Riko that this woman was an experienced actress. "Who's this?" The older woman looked at her with a smile, despite the fact that she was a stranger.

"S-Sorry, I just needed to talk to Tsushima-san. I didn't know you were in the middle of something." Riko scratched her head, laughing nervously. However, unbeknownst to the woman, she focused her golden eyes on Yoshiko. 

Yoshiko noticed the look in her eyes and raised an eyebrow. In response, Riko flashed her right arm, showing a blood red heart tattoo on her arm. 

"Do you know who this is, Yocchan?" The older woman looked between the two curiously. Despite Yoshiko's cool expression, Riko saw the fear in her eyes. 

"Y-Yeah, can I talk to her alone for a minute?" Her voice was deep, yet rich, and Riko could tell that her singing voice was exceptional. The woman shrugged and stepped out, leaving the two alone. As she shut the door, silence enveloped them, and Riko stood awkwardly. "U-Um, so, you're looking nice today."

In response, Yoshiko glared. "What do they want now?" Riko flinched and gulped. One thing she would never get used to was the hostility. She knew how much people hated them, and that was one thing she'd have to live with. "Well, they just wanted me to check up on you. You know, make sure you're still loyal." 

With this, Riko's golden eyes narrowed. If someone this famous had said anything, there would be major consequences. Yoshiko shuddered at the sudden change of personality. Looking away, she coughed. "Yeah, no one knows yet." 

After a moment of silence, Riko breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Anyway, we'll check up on you later." She smiled, walking out the back door without a care in the world. 

Yoshiko collapsed in her chair. Even now, Mari had ways of finding even more dangerous people. However, even she had a way to protect herself now. And hopefully, they wouldn't let her down.

As if on cue, a cop car arrived outside, and inside if it was Dia Kurosawa. Joined by Hanamaru Kunikida, the detective was going to do all she could to help. 

Another pair was on their way. Honoka Kousaka and Chika Takami. 

However, despite the hope, one person still lingered. Riko looked from the shadows, ready to strike. 

The show was about to begin.

Chapter 3, A New Danger, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3! In this one I introduced the villains, along with a few other characters. I'm hoping to have some relationships progress instead of just introducing characters, so that'll come soon.


	4. Intermission

Umi Sonoda sat at a cafe table, stirring her already cold coffee absentmindedly. She was currently on her break from the diner, and You had bugged her about going outside more. Even though she had promptly glared at her coworker, the younger girl hadn't backed down, and so Umi was forced to go out.

Umi sighed, leaning back and fixing her hair into a ponytail. As much of a slacker You was, she was unbearably perceptive. It was times like these that Umi regretted telling her about Honoka, her roommate and childhood friend. 

She was soon broken out of her daze by the arrival of another one of her friends, one that wasn't constantly putting herself in danger everyday. Unlike most days, Kotori Minami had let her hair down, allowing it to flow freely. However, this also caused many eyes to wander, something Umi had never gotten used to.

Sure, they weren't looking at HER, but the fact that they were looking in her general direction made Umi uncomfortable. 

She hated the extra attention.

Kotori smiled, taking off her jacket and sitting down across from her. Despite her state of well being, Umi smiled back. It was hard not to smile around Kotori. 

"It's been a while, Kotori. You look well." And she really meant it. Out of the three of them, Kotori was probably doing the best. After all, many of her shows had done exceptionally well, and these days she was recognized by nearly everyone. 

"Thanks, Umi-chan. You look, um, okay?" Kotori's smile turned uncertain, and for good reason. "Well, I mean, not terrible at least." Umi knew that was probably a complete lie. 

When Honoka had started her job as a detective, Umi had worried. Would she be able to take care of herself? What if she had gotten injured? All of these only made her worry, and eventually Honoka began noticing the black circles under her eyes.

And when Honoka confronted her about it, that was the last straw. Umi had broken down, sobbing and begging her not to do anything dangerous. And for once in her whole life, Honoka had a serious expression. Needless to say, after what she was told, Umi had been relieved.

Until now.

Kotori laughed at her expression and smiled apologetically. "S-Sorry, is it Honoka-chan again?" To this, Umi grimaced, confirming Kotori's suspicions. Her smile faded, and she sighed as she began ordering a smoothie. As much as she worried about their friend, no one worried as much as Umi. 

Kotori leaned forward, eyes focused on the bluenette. "What did she do this time?" Umi scratched her head, looking at her watch. She was a little worried that she would take too much of the actress's time. As if reading her mind, Kotori smiled. 

"Don't worry, I have the rest of the day off. A coworker kicked me out of the theater." She said this jokingly, but it was kind of what actually happened. "So tell me everything." With this comfort, it felt as if a dam had broken inside Umi, and she began telling her about everything.

Kotori tilted her head, taking a sip from her smoothie that had arrived as they were talking. "A student intern?" Umi nodded. She was told about the internship the day before it was supposed to happen. 

Umi bit her lip. "How can Honoka take care of a student, if she can barely take care of herself?" Kotori grabbed her hand from across the table, making Umi realize just how tense she was. "So that's why you're stressed out?" Umi nodded once more, taking a sip from her now cold coffee, and grimacing.

Kotori shook her head, stifling a giggle. Noticing her lack of care in their friends well being, Umi puffed her cheeks and pouted. "W-What's so funny?" Kotori feigned ignorance, before realizing that her laughter probably wasn't too well hidden. "S-Sorry, but I find it cute how much you care about Honoka-chan." 

Before Umi could intervene with her usual speech of "I just don't want her to end up like a failure," Kotori's expression became serious. "I know how you feel, Umi-chan. I worry about her too, you know." Twisting her hair around her finger, Kotori watched the bustling streets. Of course she worried. She was just better at hiding it.

Kotori looked Umi in the eyes and smiled. "But you know that while she may be not be the brightest, she would never let anyone she cares about get hurt. And if someone does, she'll beat herself up about it and not tell anyone." 

Umi knew that was true. But that was exactly why she was worried. Honoka would risk her life to help someone. On the job, she would act aloof and careless. She didn't want to make anyone worry, she had told Umi this herself. But she never told anyone about her regrets. That was why Umi was worried.

Honoka just tried to carry too much on her shoulders. 

"That's why you're there, Umi-chan." Umi looked up, surprised that Kotori knew what she was thinking. Though it probably wasn't too surprising, considering how long they've known each other. "When Honoka-chan gets home, talk to her. Even if nothing had happened, let her get some things off her chest." Kotori flashed a quick grin. "And maybe all three of us can get together some time."

Umi smiled gratefully, glancing at her watch and standing up. "Thank you, Kotori. You have no idea how much this means to me." Kotori stood as well, pulling on her jacket. "It's no problem. If I can help you or Honoka-chan, call me anytime and I'll come running. Well, maybe." Umi chuckled, and as the two began walking out, she couldn't help but worry about Honoka.

Despite this, all she could do was pray that her friend would make it home in time for dinner.

 

-  
The streets were unusually packed, and Honoka impatiently tapped her foot. While the areas around the theater were relatively clear, according to her partner, the road leading to it was a pain to navigate. Especially in a city this big. And if there was one thing she hated, it was traffic jams. 

After eating, the two had walked back to the station and grabbed a car, hoping to make it to the theater early. However, at the pace they were going now, they were more than late. And thanks to the traffic jam, Honoka had a lot of time to think. Glancing at Chika, she saw that the younger girl was currently closing her eyes. Probably to get some rest. 

Honoka sighed. Just what kind of teacher was she? The first day of the internship, and her student had suffered multiple injuries. Thankfully, Umi hadn't found out, which was the only comfort she had. 

She had thought that allowing Chika to experience a situation instead of telling her would be a better way to teach her. Experience was the best teacher, right? Well, that's what Honoka had thought, until Chika was injured.

Not only that, but she couldn't save the hostage either. Over the few years she had been working, Honoka had tried her hardest to save everyone she could. However, with the current actions of the Hearbreak gang, there were too many deaths for anyone to count. 

And the way they had killed him....

Honoka shook her head, glancing at the younger girl again. Maybe it was better that she had collapsed that day. Remembering the state of the body was enough to make her queasy. 

That's what happened when you forget to pay back debts. One thing Honoka knew was that if you owed anything to Heartbreak, you would be the first to die. And the last thing she wanted was for anyone she loved to get involved. That was another reason she was worried about their current mission. What if Kotori was at the theater? 

What if she was involved in something sinister?

Honoka shook her head. Kotori would never get involved with something like that. Ever since they were children, she was never one to make promises or deals she couldn't keep. Though that didn't stop her from worrying. She was suddenly interrupted by a sudden yawn from her companion.

"Rough night?" Honoka said teasingly. Chika stretched and scoffed, looking out the window. "We're still not there?"She shook her head. "Nah, as you can see we're a bit of a jam." Chika narrowed her crimson eyes and sighed. Honoka glanced at her watch. "I'll have to call Dia-chan and tell her I'll be late." She suddenly made a face. "Again." 

Chika raised an eyebrow, causing Honoka to look away sheepishly. It wasn't her fault that she was late most of the time. Well, it mostly wasn't her fault. Finally, after nearly 20 minutes of waiting, they began moving. Honoka glanced at her watch again, grimacing. 

Hopefully they would make it in time. 

 

-  
Rin was currently laying on the couch and closing her eyes. With the background sound of the television, it was just another day for her. After making breakfast so early in the morning, she was due for some rest. And booze. Besides, with what happened last night, she needed a lot of it. 

-  
A few hours after Hanamaru had left for her first day of the internship, Rin had opened up the bar. Like always, there were a variety of people. Drunks, men hitting on younger women, and depressed businessmen. There were more, but that's what she mostly noticed.

A regular sat down, already somewhat tipsy. "H-How about another d-drink, Rin-chan?" He hiccuped, nearly falling out of his chair. Rin grinned, grabbing something she knew that he'd like. "Trouble with the wife?" The man nodded and began complaining. This was how most nights were. Rin was like a therapist of sorts. Except with a lot more alcohol. 

However, unlike most nights, there was someone who walked in. Someone who stunned everyone inside the bar. Well, everyone except Rin. 

Rummaging through a drawer, Rin swore. "I gotta restock soon.." she muttered. Suddenly, she noticed that the usual noise of the bar had ceased. Looking up in confusion, she saw her. A blonde woman wearing a suit of sorts, though it seemed more for style than formality considering how messily presented she was. However, she still seemed to have a "high class" air about her.

As the woman neared, there were more things that Rin had noticed. Though she wasn't sure that it was something that would usually cause the whole bar to get quiet. Her yellow eyes seemed to be dancing, and she had an equally sly smile to go with it. Along with her strange hairstyle, this was indeed an interesting customer.

The blonde sat down, still grinning. The first thing Rin had noticed now that they were face to face was that the woman was wearing both a tie and a bow tie. Needless to say, she was intrigued. "Welcome, what can I get you tonight?" Rin's cheerful voice cut through the silence, and she realized again that no one was speaking. "What are you guys doing? The nights just getting started!" This seemed to have done the trick, as conversation began once more, albeit timid. 

Rin turned back to the woman and smiled. "Would you like anything?" She asked again. For some reason, the woman seemed intrigued. Was it something Rin had said? Was this someone she should know? She didn't watch the news much, so she wouldn't know if this a celebrity or not. 

When the woman spoke, Rin was surprised. "Nice to meet you!" She said enthusiastically. "Sadly, I'm not allowed to drink. Nico-cchi says it influences my decisions too much. Hmph, what does she know?!" Rin was suddenly hit with a barrage of information. This was the least she expected from someone dressed like that. 

"S-So a water?" The strange woman nodded, and began looking around. As she was grabbing a cup, Rin couldn't help but look at the woman curiously. Mostly because how distracting her tie/bow tie combination was. Rin also noticed that everyone kept stealing glances at the woman. "Here you go." The woman looked back and grinned. "Wow! You even put so much effort into the water!" 

The woman gulped it down, and sighed contently. Rin decided to avoid telling her that it was just regular tap water. "A-Anyway, what brings you here today? You don't seem to be trying to drink you problems away." Rin asked, deciding to learn a bit more about this strange person. The woman put a hand on her chin, nodding to herself. "I came to find someone, but it seems like they've skipped our date." 

The woman shrugged as if it wasn't too big of a deal. She shook her head. "Anyway, what's your name? You've really piqued my interest." Rin tilted her head. Despite the carefree tone of voice, it felt as if the woman was interrogating her. She shook her head. It was probably her imagination. "I'm Rin Hoshizora, owner of this bar as you can see." 

The woman's eyes lit up. "Ah, starry sky. A fitting name. You seem like the enthusiastic type." Rin scratched her head in embarrassment. "I get that a lot." 

"Who might you be?" Rin said, changing the subject. The woman seemed to be considering something, before grinning with a shrug. She then stood up, putting down a few dollar bill. "I'm Mari Ohara. I hope we can meet again, Star-chan." The woman said with a wink. As the mysterious Mari Ohara walked out the door, Rin couldn't help but think that the name seemed familiar.

To make everyone seemed that frightened? Rin went to sleep that night wondering all about it. 

-  
Rin stood up, grabbing a beer. Making her way to her room, she couldn't quite get that nagging feeling of familiarity out of her head. Who was Mari Ohara? Sitting down at her computer, she quickly typed in the name.

As she quickly clicked the first article that showed up, her eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. Leaning back and taking a sip of her beer, she chuckled dryly. 

To think that the most dangerous woman in the city had taken a liking to her.

Chapter 4, Intermission, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an intermission (obviously) that delved more into relationships with side characters. There are only a few more characters to introduce, though they won't be showing up in this arc. Btw, Hoshizora=Starry skies. One of my favorite things about Rin.


	5. The Hidden Theater

The theater was huge. Hundreds, maybe thousands of seats filled it. And right in the middle was probably the biggest stage Hanamaru had ever seen. To think that there were actresses that performed in front of so many people. Before she could stand there gaping any longer, Dia had already moved on, and she had to jog to catch up.

"S-So the phone call came from here?" Hanamaru asked, still looking around in wonder. She had never visited the theater before, but she had heard about many great actresses. 

Dia nodded, putting her hand up to her chin. "I was going to dismiss it as a prank at first, but it would've been easier for them to use a pay phone so we wouldn't be able to track them." She then shook her head. "This is something else." Suddenly realizing something, Dia looked down at her watch and frowned. "She's late.." She murmured.

Dia shook her head again. "It doesn't matter, let's go on ahead." 

They moved to the back of the theater, towards the dressing rooms. As they approached the stage, Hanamaru realized just how big it was. It could probably fit four police cars, easily. The two continued on, and upon entering, she gasped. Inside was someone Hanamaru thought she'd never see again. "Y-You!"

The girl turned, her raven hair moving with her. Now that she was closer, Hanamaru noticed that instead of purple, her eyes were a beautiful darker pink color. Magenta was the color that she thought of. In contrast with her hair, it was quite the combination. As the girl realized who she was, her eyes widened. 

"Z-Zurama-?!" The girl had quickly covered her own mouth. However, the damage was done, and Hanamaru flinched. "Z-Zura?!" Who was this person, and how did they know about her most embarrassing secret?! The only people that knew would be her family or friends from back home. However, Hanamaru didn't recall anyone this beautiful back home.

Hanamaru quickly grabbed the girl's shoulders. "H-H-How do you know about that? Who are you?!" The girl looked at her as if she was more confused. "Y-You don't remember me?" This only confused Hanamaru more, and the girl looked away. "N-Never mind then.."

Hanamaru let go of the girl's shoulders. For some reason, she seemed sad. Did this girl know her? If so, why didn't she remember? Before she could ask any questions, Dia coughed, and the girl finally noticed that Hanamaru wasn't alone. 

"O-Oh, detective!" The girl looked up in surprise, putting on a welcoming smile. Dia walked up to her, raising an eyebrow at Hanamaru, in which the younger girl shrugged in response. "You must be, Yohane?" She hesitated for second, before nodding. She didn't know what it was, but Hanamaru thought that she had looked at her. 

"So, what is it?" Annoyed at the already long introduction, Dia got straight to the point. "Is it who I think it is?" The air froze, and Yohane nodded nervously. "I-I, we need to go somewhere else." Dia nodded grimly. Anyone could be listening. The two followed Yohane to an abandoned storage room that probably looked better a few years earlier. 

As Hanamaru began checking the place, Yohane sat down and began explaining. "A few weeks ago they approached me. I had just moved to the city, so I didn't know anyone." She glanced at the door. "Heartbreak. T-They took advantage of that, a-and they said they'd kill me if I told anyone, and-" 

Tears appeared in her eyes, and Hanamaru bit her lip, putting a hand on her shoulder. Heartbreak had probably heard about her being an actress, and before Yohane could make any connections, they had already had her in the palm of their hands. As the girl wept, Dia kept silent. Hanamaru almost criticized her for being insensitive, before realizing that she was in deep thought.

Finally, after a few minutes of contemplation, Dia stood up and smiled at the two of them. "I'll call the station and ask if they can keep you safe. It's time we take them down once and for all." The two girls looked at her in wonder. Well, one girl did. Hanamaru's mouth hung open. This was the first time she had seen her smile so gently. Yohane jumped up, hugging her. "T-Thank you so much!" 

Dia looked at her in surprise, uncertain of what to do, and Hanamaru giggled. Even the famous detective could get swept off her feet. Before she could tease her about it, Dia stopped. "Detective?" Yohane looked at her, confused. But suddenly, Hanamaru noticed it too. A certain smell. Something was burning. 

Hanamaru walked to the door, slowly opening it. "Wait!" Dia cried out, but it was too late. The door was blown off its hinges, slamming into Hanamaru. The force blew her to the ground, and she cried out in pain. "Zuramaru!" Her ears were ringing, but she could just barely make out what was being said. Zuramaru? The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

The ringing stopped, and Dia lifted the door off of her. "Get up!" She yelled. Dazed, Hanamaru looked around. Fire raged from the door that was previously there. "W-What happened?" She pushed herself off the ground, grimacing as she felt a sharp pain on her head. Touching it, she realized that she was bleeding. "Damn!" She looked over to see Dia looking around for an exit. 

It was no use. There was only one place they could go, and it was already covered in flames. "W-Wait, over here!" The two looked over and saw Yohane pointing at a wall. "T-There used to be an old passageway here! It was covered up after the renovations!" Without hesitation, Dia walked over, taking a sturdy piece of wood and slamming it into the wall. 

The wall collapsed, and Hanamaru struggled to make it to the passage. Her head was in so much pain... 

Seeing her struggle, Dia offered her shoulder, and the two quickly made it through. As they made it, Yohane quickly covered the wall with a shelf, and after walking a good distance away, the three stopped to take a breather. "W-We made it, zura.." Hanamaru sighed in relief. Suddenly, her pain amplified, and she felt a dizziness. "W-We have to...." 

And then she collapsed.

 

-  
Honoka looked down, frowning at her phone. Ten. That's how many times she had called Dia. Had something happened to her? "H-Honoka-san, watch the road!" Chika cried out, and Honoka looked up in surprise, just barely swerving out of the way. There were a surprising amount of cars on this road. Was something happening?

Focusing on the road, Honoka could feel worry eating away at her. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she noticed the smoke. "The theaters on fire!" Chika shouted. Honoka cursed, looking around the area. Thankfully, there wasn't a show playing today, so the theater was mostly empty. But was Kotori still inside? 

She quickly sped up, and the two arrived at the burning building. Honoka looked around frantically. Was she here? Did she get out? "Honoka-san?" Chika looked at her, worried, and Honoka realized that she was clenching her fist. She let go, looking around more carefully. There had to be a way in. They could wait for the firefighters, but... 

"It'll take too long..." Honoka muttered. It was then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something. Or more importantly, someone. "The roof!" She quickly sprinted to the adjacent alleyway, hoping that Chika was keeping up. As she climbed the emergency staircase, she could hear loud foot steps from above. As she made it up, she gasped. The roof was barely holding up. There were cracks and holes covering most of it. That wasn't caused by a simple fire. There must've been something more, like an explosion.

Catching a glimpse of the potential perpetrator, she didn't have much time to consider the danger. As Honoka slowly crept across the roof, she realized that the footsteps had ceased. Had the suspect gotten away? It was then that she heard it. An explosion. "Honoka-san!" Chika had made her way to her position, her eyes full of fear. A shot rang out. And Honoka felt a sharp pain on her side. As she fell, she realized that there was no solid ground below her. 

The roof had been destroyed.

 

-  
When Chika had heard the explosion, she shouted in panic. When Honoka was shot, her blood ran cold. And when the roof had collapsed, she didn't have time to shout. Before she knew, she had hit the ground. 

Crying out in pain, Chika's whole body hurt. Coughing, she forced herself off the ground. "H-Honoka-san..." Finally standing up, she saw that they were in an empty dressing room, littered with rubble. For what she could tell, the fire had yet to reach this room. Seeing Honoka's body laying on the ground, Chika ignored the pain of her previous wounds, stumbling to her side. The bullet had gone through her cleanly, thank goodness. 

"H-Hey, do you mind not telling Umi-chan about this?" Honoka chuckled dryly, wincing in pain. Chika glared at her. "This is no time for jokes!" Though she hadn't fallen on anything particularly dangerous, Honoka was bleeding an awful lot. Taking off her jacket, she quickly wrapped it tightly around her abdomen. "I just gotten it cleaned too.." Hearing a noise, Chika quickly reached for her gun, before cursing. It was gone. It must've fallen off when they fell. Out of the shadows came a girl with red hair.

Gasping, Chika saw that it was a girl about her age. What was she doing here? She didn't seem to be an actress. It was then that she noticed it. A tattoo. It was only for a moment, but just a glance was enough for her to know. This girl was part of Heartbreak. She had researched more then enough to know. Chika glared at the girl, and for just a moment, she saw her flinch, before it was gone just as quickly. 

The girl held a knife, and her calm expression seemed to cut just as deep. Her golden eyes were unnerving. But despite that, Chika didn't look away. "Who are you?" Chika demanded. The girl didn't answer, but instead took a step forward.

And before she knew it, the mysterious girl was upon her.

Instinctively, Chika jumped back, the knife just barely missing her. The girl looked surprised that she missed, and Chika realized that this was the first time the girl must've experienced combat. But why would Heartbreak send someone like that? Chika grabbed her hand, kicking her feet from under her. As the girl fell, Chika twisted the girl's hand, causing her to yelp in pain and drop the knife.

The girl fell to the floor, and Chika glared at her. "Who sent you? What are you doing here?!" Chika demanded. "I-It's too late, I already set them." The girl squeaked. "What?" Chika looked at her in confusion, before hearing something. A ticking. She looked back and saw a red light. Eyes widening, Chika cuffed the girl, dragging her behind a shelf. "How much longer until it goes off?!" She shouted frantically. She still had to get Honoka to safety. 

"T-Thirty seconds." The girl was awfully cooperative, but Chika didn't have time to think about it. She ran towards the injured detective and began dragging her back. "Damn!" She was heavier than expected. Honoka cried out in pain. "S-Sorry Honoka-san." Chika pulled her body as quickly as she could, avoiding debris.

Just as she pulled her behind cover, everything exploded. 

 

-  
Hanamaru woke up to an explosion. Sitting up, she looked around frantically. "W-What happened?!" She was then hit with the worst headache of her life. Touching her head, she felt a cloth of some sort. 

Looking around, she saw that her other two companions were still alert. She must've been out for a pretty short amount of time then. Dia stood against the wall, closing her eyes and listening. She didn't seem to be injured. Yohane still looked fine, and Hanamaru saw that part of her black dress was ripped up. Was that the cloth that was on her head?

Noticing that she was awake, Dia crouched down next to her. "Can you move?" Hanamaru nodded, still confused. What was happening? From across the room, Yohane answered her question. "There was another explosion close by. It blew a hole in the tunnel we were in." Another one? Hanamaru realized that they were somewhere else. It was a wide tunnel, with train tracks that seemed to go on for miles. Were they in the subway?

Dia frowned. She was thinking pretty hard from what Hanamaru could see. "After the first explosion, we moved you further in. But why did it lead to the subway?" Yohane shook her head as the two looked at her. "I was told that area was renovated, but when I brought it up to Kotori, she said there was no such thing. Which means..." 

Dia nodded grimly. "Heartbreak must've created this tunnel." Hanamaru shuddered. To think that they had that much influence. They created a tunnel in one of the most famous theaters, and no one had ever known. But why was it created? The three women jumped, as they heard footsteps approaching from where they came from.

Dia pulled her gun out, gesturing for the two to go behind her. A girl stumbled in, and when she saw Dia, paled and raised her hands. "Ah! I don't have a weapon, don't shoot!" And the person who walked in was someone very familiar. Ginger hair and a very familiar cowlick told Hanamaru exactly who it was. "Ch-Chika-chan?!" Dia looked confused as Hanamaru ignored any danger, running up to her friend. 

"You know this girl?" Dia inquired. Hanamaru nodded. "Y-Yeah, she's in my class." Chika waved at her, and upon noticing Yohane, smiled slightly. The detective put down her gun, her eyes suddenly widening. "Wait. So if you're here, then you must be...!" Chika nodded grimly. "I was with Honoka-san." Hanamaru and Yohane began watching the exits for any danger, leaving the other two to talk alone. At Dia's insistence.

"Is she okay?" As the two sat down, this was the first thing Dia asked. Chika nodded and began explaining the events that occurred up until now. About the mysterious girl and the explosion. "After the explosion, the girl got away and I took Honoka out to an ambulance." Chika looked away uncertainly, biting her lip. Dia sighed in relief. It seemed like she was hiding something, but for now Dia was just glad that Honoka was safe.

"So the authorities are here, huh..." Dia muttered to herself. That made things easier for them. No one suspicious could get in or out. And they could safely investigate further into the tunnel. However..

"We have no time to waste. If this is where their base is, they might already be relocating." Dia stood up, brushing herself off. She wouldn't let her get away this time. Before she could move, Chika grabbed the hem of her jacket. "U-Um, is it possible that Heartbreak is forcing people to fight for them?" Dia frowned. Was this about that girl? "No, that's impossible. Whoever is with them made their choice. And we'll take all of them down." 

Chika let go and nodded wordlessly. 

Dia waved the other two over, nodding at each of them. "We're moving further in, Yohane you might want to head outside. It's too dangerous from here on." The girl shook her head, determination on her face. "No, I'm not leaving until they explain everything to me." Dia sighed. She figured the girl wouldn't leave so easily. However, there wasn't much time, so they had no choice but to take her. "Fine. Hey, Shorty." She turned to Hanamaru. "Call for back up. Tell them we're going further in." 

The group turned to face the darkness in the tunnel. Dia took out a photo of three girls, glaring at it. Putting it away, she took a deep breath. 

"This is it."

Chapter 5, The Hidden Theater, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of City of Sin! This will maybe be my last chapter for this month, so I'd like to say some stuff. I've made 4 chapter this month. 4! Now that might not seem like a lot, but I'm pretty proud of that and hope next month I can give you guys even more content. Thanks for reading!


	6. The End of the Beginning

Chika was absolutely terrified. She had been through a lot the past two days. She had been shot, blown up, and almost killed multiple times. All of those didn't compare to the frightening emptiness of the dark. There was no light in the tunnel. Save for Hanamaru's phone flashlight. The further she looked down the tunnel, the more she saw absolutely nothing.

For the hundredth time this week, Chika wished that she had stayed home. She looked around to see if anyone else was going through the same thing she was. After all, it would be embarrassing if she was the only one freaking out. The famous detective Dia Kurosawa didn't seem frightened at all. Well, that was obvious. Chika couldn't imagine that woman being scared of anything. The first time they had met, Dia had pointed a gun at her, so Chika figured it wasn't a good time to ask for an autograph.

As for the actress, she was told that the girl's name was Yohane. It was a strange name, possibly a stage name, but no one else seemed to see the problem, so Chika said nothing. She could see that the girl was scared, but she had a determined look on her face, despite the danger. She was beautiful. Well, she was an actress, so go figure. Glancing at her classmate and friend, Hanamaru, Chika saw that she didn't seem scared either.

It made her feel weak that she was the only one, if she was being honest. Their eyes met, and Hanamaru gave her a look of pity. Chika smiled back, the best she could. Only Hanamaru knew about her crippling fear of the dark, and she didn't think it was a wise decision to bring it up now. If Honoka figured out she would never hear the end of it.

Chika bit her lip, remembering what had happened to her mentor. She had told Dia about the situation, but not the whole thing. And Chika knew that the detective knew that she was hiding something. 

After the explosion, they were trapped underneath rubble. A dresser was pinning her down, and Honoka was right next to her. Unable to get up, it was then that Chika felt the weight of the dresser lessen. The mysterious girl had lifted it off her. Chika coughed, looking at her with wide eyes. Before she could speak, the girl pointed. "There's an exit there. Take her to an ambulance." The girl's face was pale. 

Chika didn't have time to ask questions. She had picked up Honoka's body, and began moving. Looking back, she saw the girl take a deep breath. Chika opened her mouth and spoke. "Who are you?" The girl flinched, looking up, conflicted. "R-Riko. Riko Sakurauchi." Chika nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Riko-chan." She turned away before the girl could answer. She didn't know why, but the girl seemed lonely. 

Like she didn't want to hurt anyone. 

The rest of the story was exactly as she told Dia, and it was then that Chika remembered something. "U-Um, Kurosawa-san? Honoka-san wanted me to ask if anyone named Kotori was in the theater." The detective frowned, uncertain. Before she could answer, Yohane interrupted. "She left before the fire started." She smiled reassuringly, and Chika sighed in relief. She didn't want Honoka to suffer anymore. Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, they saw light. 

"Is that the way out?" Hanamaru asked, looking back at Dia. The older woman frowned. It seems like she did that a lot, Chika noticed. "It doesn't look like natural sunlight. Let's be careful." The three nodded, and Chika pulled out her gun. Well, it was Dia's spare gun, but it still made her feel safe. 

The group fell silent as they began creeping near the light, and Chika began squinting as they entered what seemed to be a huge room. When her eyes finally readjusted, she gasped. It was incredible. The room was way larger than she initially thought, and in the center was a throne. However, there was one thing that never escaped her. Fear. Sitting on the throne was the leader of Heartbreak. The cause of everything.

Mari Ohara. 

Chika and Hanamaru traded glances, gulping in unison. The woman was only smiling, but they could feel her influence. However, the room was nearly empty. Save for Mari and another woman. Despite their fear, Dia merely glared. "Turn yourself in, Mari-san." Chika stared at her in disbelief. How could she just casually say something like that? Mari seemed to think the same thing, as she began giggling like a school girl. 

"Always quite the joker aren't you, Dia?" She said, wiping away tears of laughter. "How is it over? We've already relocated. well, mostly." The other woman looked at Mari with an equally killer glare. "Just because you wanted to make a damn appearance. We could've been out of here!" Mari shrugged innocently. "What's wrong with wanting to see a dear friend? Along with some new friends as well...." she said looking straight at them.

Chika didn't understand. Did the detective and the gang leader know each other somehow? There must've been a story. Unexpectedly, Yohane stepped forward. "Forget it! I won't let you control me anymore!" Mari looked confused, and the other woman began glaring. "I told you we should've gotten rid of her. First Riko disappears, and now this?" Chika stiffened. So Riko did work with Heartbreak. But if she worked with them by choice, why did she run?

Mari waved her off casually. "She knows what she did was wrong, she'll be back soon. Besides, she's knows where she belongs." Chika clenched her gun. She remembered how sad Riko had looked when she had helped her. She didn't want to kill. It wasn't up to Mari to decide that. "Plus, I think we can get some more help from our little Yohane." However, before Chika could do anything, Hanamaru stepped in front of Yohane protectively. 

"You're not going to touch her." Her voice was unexpectedly cold, and even Dia looked at her in surprise. The woman reached for her gun, but Mari held out her hand, telling her to stop. "How amusing." Was all she said. The air was tense, and Mari began chuckling again. "This certainly wasn't a wasted trip. Let's go." She began walking away, and Dia pulled out her gun. "Stop!" Surprisingly, she stopped. Mari looked back, a serious look on her face. "You're not going to catch me, Dia. You can tell her that too." 

Dia clenched her teeth, lowering her gun. Hanamaru frowned. "What are you doing, Dia-san?! You had a shot!" Chika raised her gun, and Dia's eyes widened. Mari and the other woman were going through a door, it wasn't too late. "Wait! There are explosiv-" Chika fired. Mari and the woman were gone. And she had taken the shot. The room exploded, and the four were blown back. 

Chika hit a wall, and as she began losing consciousness, a single thought crossed her mind. Why was Mari so obsessed with explosions? 

 

-  
"Zuramaru...."

A voice. Hanamaru heard a voice. Zuramaru. It was that name again. Everyone back home knew about her verbal tic, but no one had called her that name. Except for one person. Who was it again? Black. The girl wore a lot of black. It was her thing. That's what most people back home knew her by. The crazy girl that always wore black. Hanamaru didn't think that she was crazy. She idolized the girl. She was special. She was her best friend at one point in time.

"Zuramaru!"

That's when it happened. An accident. Hanamaru could barely remember it. All she remembered was blood. A lot of it. After that accident, the girl was gone. But why was she hearing the name now? Hanamaru remembered the cloth wrapped around her head. It was black. Yohane had given it to her. Her eyes, magenta. So familiar. 

Hanamaru woke up. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was outside. Police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances surrounded her. And right above was Yohane. Her eyes was smeared with tears, ruining her make up. Though she didn't really seem to care. Her arms and legs were covered in bandages, and she didn't seem to be fatally injured. Seeing that she was awake, Yohane hugged her. 

"T-Thank god you're okay, Zuramaru." She sniffled, and Hanamaru ignored the pain throughout her body. She remembered. Hanamaru remembered. She didn't know everything, but she did know who this was. "I didn't think you'd become such a crybaby, Yoshiko-chan." Yohane, or rather, Yoshiko Tsushima, looked at her in surprise. Before grinning, tears streaming down her face.

"S-Shut up, Zuramaru. This is your fault!" Hanamaru chuckled, slowly standing up. They were right outside the theater, so it must've been only an hour at most. "Is everyone else all right?" Yoshiko nodded, a sad look on her face. Hanamaru sighed in relief. It was a miracle that they survived. 

An officer walked up to the two, his eyes widening. "You two have to lay back down. We're going to the hospital. Detective Kurosawa is already there visiting Kousaka-san." Hanamaru nodded, giving Yoshiko a reassuring look. "I'll see you there. We can talk about what to do next." Yoshiko smiled back, walking away. It seemed like she had gotten up just to see if she was okay.

Hanamaru laid back down, getting pushed into the ambulance. The hospital was a few minutes away, so they'd make it there relatively quick. 

After making it to the hospital, Hanamaru went through a quick check up. She had a concussion still from the impact of the first explosion, which had only gotten worse as time went on. The doctors told her to take it easy for a while. Besides that and a few scratches, she was perfectly fine. Well, yeah, fine. Making it to Honoka's hospital room, Hanamaru ran into Chika. Her friend had a bandage wrapped around her head, along with a cast on her left arm. 

"You seem like you're doing fine." Hanamaru said jokingly as they made their way down the hall. Chika grimaced, rubbing her arm. "Please don't say that. This is the second day in a row that I've been injured. I hope this doesn't become the norm for me." Hanamaru gave her a reassuring pat on the back. From what she had heard, the wounds on Chika's back had reopened, so she was told to take it easy as well. 

In Chika's case, really easy. From what Hanamaru had heard, Dia had given the girl quite a pep talk. The two finally arrived at the detective's room, and Chika slowly opened the door. "Pardon the intrusion." As they walked in, Hanamaru saw Honoka sitting on the bed, grinning sheepishly while Dia glared at her. It seemed natural, so she assumed it was something they did often. When Honoka saw Chika, her eyes lit up. "Chika-chan! Are you okay?" The younger girl nodded, and she sighed in relief. 

Honoka began scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "You kind of saved me back there, so I'm thinking you should take the rest of the week off." Dia glared at her harder. "I mean a few weeks off." Dia turned away with a "hmph" and looked at Hanamaru. Expecting to get badgered with complaints about not being careful and such, Hanamaru flinched. Unexpectedly, Dia smiled. It wasn't as heartfelt as the one before, but it was a smile. 

"Good job out there, Shorty. Take some time off." Hanamaru's eyes lit up and she nodded. "Thank you!" The door opened behind them, and Yoshiko entered, flashing a quick smile at them. Now that the group was gathered, Dia began the meeting. 

"Heartbreak got away this time, but we have evidence we can follow. Their underground base was destroyed, but the door they used should still be under the rubble. It's not much, but we'll have to work with it." Dia began pacing around, and Hanamaru knew that she must've been thinking hard about it. Hanamaru glanced at Chika, their eyes meeting. They were both wondering it. How did Dia know the leader of Heartbreak?

However, Hanamaru decided not to ask. She had known the detective for about only two days. How could she ask something that personal? Hanamaru decided to focus on Dia's words for now. "Besides that, the woman who was with Mari talked about a girl. Riko, was it? It seems as if she ran away from them...." Honoka nodded. "Had they deployed anyone else at the time? All I remember is that young girl who shot me." 

Dia shook her head. "No other sightings. And we didn't run into anyone either. Which means that girl must've been the runaway." Honoka chuckled, standing up. Or attempting to, at least. She stumbled, and Chika caught her. "I'll research and see if I can find this girl anywhere in the city." Honoka nodded thankfully towards Chika. 

The girl narrowed her crimson eyes. "I'll help. You're in no condition to do this yourself. Besides, I know the girl's face better than you do." Honoka opened her mouth to protest, before realizing that she made a valid point. Dia shrugged, as if to say, "hey, your student, your problem." Chika nodded. "It's just research, right? It'll be fine."

The younger girl looked down at her bullet wound, smirking. "Plus, don't you have to make it to dinner tonight? You're in no condition to drive." Honoka grimaced. "Why did I tell you about that again? Wait, can you even drive?!" As the two bickered, Dia turned towards Yoshiko. "There's also this problem. We can't leave you alone, and my place is too dangerous as well." Before she knew what she was doing, Hanamaru spoke up.

"She can stay at my place!" Both Yoshiko and Dia looked at her in surprise. She quickly covered her mouth, realizing that she had nearly shouted. "I-I mean, I live in a bar. They wouldn't suspect anything." Hanamaru said in a quieter tone. Dia nodded, satisfied. "Is that okay with you?" She asked Yoshiko. "Oh, y-yeah." With all of their immediate problems solved, Dia sighed in relief. "All right, you guys should lay low for a bit. Take a few weeks off. We'll take care of everything." 

And the meeting was adjourned. 

 

-  
Chika sat in the drivers seat of the unfamiliar car. Well, all cars were unfamiliar in the drivers seat for her. Honoka sat in the passenger seat, her new crutches seated in the back. After she had quickly driven to her house to grab a shower and a change of clothes, the two were on their way to Honoka's apartment. 

"Y-You know, I feel like, even in my condition, I can drive." Chika glared at the older girl. They were currently at a red light, and Chika had felt like she was doing an okay job. After all, she had driven a few times before. "Didn't I do pretty good on the way to my house?" Honoka scoffed. "Yeah, good at moving like, ten miles an hour." Since the light had turned green, Chika merely sighed. 

It was currently 8:00 pm. Honoka had remarked that dinner usually started at 8:30, so Chika had made it her mission to make it there on time. Even with a broken arm, she was doing really well. Driving with one hand wasn't as bad as they said it was. Chika glanced at her passenger, and saw that she was checking her phone. It seems like she wanted to make it there as soon as possible as well. 

"So who's the special girl?" Honoka glared at her, turning away and pouting. Chika chuckled. It was nice to tease the older girl once in a while. Especially with what she had done to her the day before. "She's not, I mean, we're not going out. Umi-chan's one of my best friends. She has been for a while." Chika was surprised. She didn't expect her to talk about the woman so passionately. 

"Hmm. Is Umi-san the one from the diner?" Chika said curiously. When someone mentioned the diner, anyone's mind would go straight to Umi Sonoda's diner. It was just that famous. Honoka nodded proudly. "Yep. She's the famous owner! Her cooking has gotten much better ever since I moved in!" It didn't really seem like something she should be proud of.

Didn't that mean that Honoka couldn't cook? Or was she just lazy?

Conversation died down, and Chika realized just how tired she was. Just how terrible she felt. If she wasn't driving, she would've collapsed right there. She didn't realize it, but she had pushed out the thoughts of the danger they were in the past two days. She almost died. She was almost responsible for the deaths of her friends. Chika felt like breaking down right there, but forced herself not to cry. She was good at that. She was sure Hanamaru would go through something similar. After all, she wasn't that good at hiding her feelings.

Even if she did occasionally do something stupidly brave, Hanamaru was weak. They both were. But it was something they had to work on if they were to become detectives. Well, that's what she thought about it. 

Finally, they arrived at Honoka's apartment, and Chika looked at the building curiously. For a famous diner owner and detective, they lived in a pretty cheap looking place. It wasn't as bad as most apartments, say, near the theater. Though it was simple, to say the least. After grabbing Honoka's crutches, and making it up the elevator, the two arrived at the door to the apartment. 

Chika reached to knock on the door, but before she could, Honoka stopped her. Looking at the older girl, she saw that Honoka seemed more uncomfortable than usual. "What is it?" The woman began fidgeting, before sighing. "C-Could you join us for dinner? I don't really want to be left alone with Umi-chan right now..." Chika stared at her in amazement.

This woman right here was a famous detective, and was afraid of a diner owner. 

"Sure, I mean, if she'll let me." Honoka smiled gratefully. "I'm sure she will." Chika nodded, and considered inviting Hanamaru. However, she decided against it, remembering that her friend had a lot of paperwork to do regarding her new roommate. So instead, Chika knocked on the door. Immediately, the door was thrown open, and Umi Sonoda stared her in the face. If Chika hadn't been in multiple explosions that day, this might've surprised her more, but thankfully, she wasn't blown back. "Nice to meet you, Sonoda-san. My name is Chika Takami, and I'm Honoka-san's, um, student." 

Umi ignored her, instead staring at the injured detective. "Um, I'm home?" Honoka said, attempting a smile. The three stood there for a moment, until Chika noticed that Umi was crying. 

"Y-You, you idiot!" She said, hugging Honoka tightly. The ginger looked surprised, expecting to get scolded. Well, she did, in a way. "Yeah, I know. Sorry. I didn't die though, so isn't that good?" Umi hugged her tighter, and Chika swore that she heard a bone crack. "Shut up! I-I was so worried.." Honoka flashed Chika a thankful grin. Albeit, a pained grin. 

Chika smiled back. It was a heartwarming sight, and for a moment the only thing that could be heard was Umi's sobbing, and the occasional cry of pain from Honoka. After the bluenette composed herself, she bowed to Chika apologetically. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, Chika-chan. And thank you for taking care of Honoka for me." Chika waved her hands, blushing furiously. "I-It's no problem! She's been taking care of me! All I did was save her after she got shot!" 

She quickly covered her mouth. Was she supposed to say that? It was kind of obvious Honoka was injured, but...

"Shot?" Chika gulped as Umi's smile became unnaturally calm. She looked over and saw that Honoka's face was pale as well. Oops. However, that ended as soon as it started, and Umi shook her head. "I'll take care of that later. Why don't you come on in, and I'll get dinner started." After another awkward introduction, it didn't take long for Chika to get comfortable with the two. 

Dinner went smoothly, and the day ended better than it had started. And Chika didn't feel like crying so much anymore. 

 

-  
The bar was closed, and it was 2:00 am. Rin was exhausted, as she was nearly everyday. However, she felt more tired today than most other days. Especially since the kid she was taking care of hadn't come home. So instead of collapsing on the couch upstairs, Rin tried her best to stay awake at the bar counter. Just as her eyes began closing, the door to the bar opened, and Rin leapt out of her chair. 

"I'm home...." Hanamaru walked in, looking exhausted. Even worse, she was injured. Bandages covered her arms and legs, and a bandage was wrapped firmly around her head. For a guardian, this was something she didn't want to see from her child. 

Rin darted towards her, and Hanamaru looked up in surprise, bracing herself for impact. Instead of tackling her like she did most days, Rin stopped short, seeing another girl accompanying her. She raised an eyebrow. "You brought company?" The girl walked in, and Rin saw that it was a beautiful young girl. She could be an actress, was the first thing she thought. Well, maybe she was. The girl bowed, a nervous smile on her face.

"N-Nice to meet you, I'm Yoshiko Tsushima." The two exchanged greetings, and Hanamaru began fidgeting. "A-Anyway, I was wondering if Yoshiko-chan could, um, stay with us for a while?" A brief silence followed, and Rin looked at her with a serious expression. "Are you serious? We're already low on money with you here."

Hanamaru nodded enthusiastically, her eyes ablaze. "I-I know! I can just work enough for two people!" 

"How can you do that when you have the internship to work on? Along with being injured?" 

"Um..."

Hanamaru chuckled nervously, as she seemed to suddenly see the various holes in her plan. Rin sighed, scratching her head. "Fine. I'm sure you have your reasons. Plus, the police called anyway, so I was prepared." The older woman turned away with a sigh, and Hanamaru's face brightened, despite her exhaustion. Rin couldn't stop herself from smiling. The girl's enthusiasm was always amusing. Turning back, Rin nodded at Yoshiko. 

"You can have the bath first. I left some of my old clothes out for you upstairs. It shouldn't be too hard to find." Yoshiko, nodded thankfully, shutting the door and moving upstairs. The two were left alone, and Rin sighed again. "Always getting yourself into trouble." Hanamaru grinned apologetically. "Sorry, Rin-san. I won't get into anymore trouble, I promise."

Rin shook her head. "Don't make a promise you can't keep." Hanamaru didn't answer, instead blushing and looking away. "A-Anyway, I think I'll go to sleep now. It's been a rough day." 

"Wait." 

Hanamaru turned around curiously, and was surprised by Rin hugging her. It wasn't the woman's usual rough hug, but instead it was gentle. "...Rin-san?" Hanamaru didn't know what it was. The dim lights and quietness of the bar, or the warmth of someone she loved. Hanamaru felt tears well up. 

Rin began rubbing her back soothingly. "I don't know what happened to you today, but keeping your feelings pent up isn't very healthy." The tears began falling, and the young girl relaxed in her arms. "I-I was scared. I really was." Hanamaru sobbed, and Rin began shushing her. "You don't need to tell me about it. Forget the pain and relax. I'm always here for you. You don't need to push yourself." Hanamaru nodded, tears streaming down her face.

She was tired. She was so tired. 

 

The End of the Beginning, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the end of the "introduction arc," so to speak. Most of the characters have been introduced, and the ones that haven't will be soon. Other characters will also get some screen time, so that'll be coming soon!


	7. Coincidence

Eli Ayase was angry. Very angry. One of the most important buildings in the city was burnt down, and they couldn't even arrest the suspects responsible. Not only that, but the subway was under investigation, only adding more to her plate. And with one detective out of commission, the police force was having a bad time.

However, Eli tried her hardest to remain calm. That's how she had kept the police department together for years, by keeping calm and thinking rationally. That's why, instead of yelling at Dia Kurosawa for her failure to apprehend the leader of Heartbreak, Eli instead sighed. 

Calm and Rational. Calm and Rational.

She repeated this to herself, and turned towards the detective. It had been a week after the incident at the theater, and Eli had finally gotten the time to scold Dia. And boy did she have a lot of anger pent up.

Calm and Rational. Calm and Rational. 

"Kurosawa, do you know how much damage has been done to the city due to your failure?" Eli said, her blue eyes glaring at her. However, Dia seemed unfazed. "Well, I had a lot of time to reflect." Eli sighed again. That's what she hated about prodigies. They were always good at what they did, and when they failed, they knew what went wrong.

Eli glanced at her watch. She didn't have much time. Not like she ever did. She looked back at Dia. "How much progress have you made on locating their next hideout?" Dia leaned back, thinking. "Kousaka has been researching areas around their previous hideout. After all, they couldn't have gone far wth that many people." 

She stood up and began pacing. "And her intern has been trying to find the runaway. If she does find her, it'll shed some light on things." Eli raised an eyebrow. "Her intern is doing it? Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Dia shook her head. "I've heard she's just been looking at the city security cameras, so it shouldn't be any fieldwork." 

Eli nodded and made a face. The fact that the students were involved with such a matter bothered her. They had gone through more than they should've over the past week. Though she did commend them for being strong enough to go through with it. Eli realized something. "So what's your intern up to?" 

Eli remembered the short, cute girl that came in asking for Dia. It surprised her that someone so young was working as a temporary cop. 

Dia smiled, a rare sight, and nodded. "Well, I had her do a little errand for me..."

 

-  
Hanamaru stood in front of the huge library, gaping at the size of it. Looking down at the address on her phone, she confirmed that this was indeed where she was told to go. She scratched her head, looking around awkwardly. The last time she had been to the library was, well, never. She loved reading, but she never had a chance to go. Now that she was finally here....

She pulled out a scratched up library card from her pocket. There was a little cat on it, and it had the name Rin Hoshizora, along with a cute picture of Rin as a child. Hanamaru looked at it uncertainly. Would they let her in if the serial number was nearly unreadable?

"Maru-chan, we have to go in eventually." Hanamaru turned to see one of her best friends, Ruby Kurosawa. Yep, the sister of the famous detective. She had a camera strapped around her neck and unlike her sister, she had red hair tied into cute little pigtails. Not only that, but their personalities were almost completely different. 

They only way you'd be able to tell that they were siblings was their eyes, which were a beautiful emerald color. 

Hanamaru sighed. "I know, I know....I'm just tired." Ruby looked at her with a straight face. "You're always tired." Hanamaru ignored the statement and began walking towards the doorway. The sunlight was making her head hurt, and it was starting to get chilly. Why couldn't Dia do this herself? Well, she knew why. She had probably asked Ruby to help Hanamaru out because of it.

After all, they were only looking to find a certain person that Dia knew. Apparently, the person would help them out with their investigation. Another old friend? Hanamaru thought. She was still curious about how Dia knew Heartbreak's leader, but that would have to wait. They approached the gate, and Hanamaru rubbed her bandaged head. There was still a dull pain.

She showed her library card to the person at the gate, who barely acknowledged her, and walked in. 

Immediately, Hanamaru was stunned. There were three floors filled with books on every shelf. There wasn't a wasted space anywhere. It was beautiful, and Hanamaru was immediately drawn in. "M-May I help you?" Realizing that she was just standing there like an idiot, Hanamaru quickly walked up to the receptionist and nodded. The woman seemed older than her, but she seemed to always try and hide herself. Like she didn't want to be seen. Her brown hair was cut short and small, square glasses rested on her nose. 

Hanamaru couldn't help but think that she'd look better without the glasses.

"I'm looking for a Kanan Matsuura. Is she here?" The small woman's eyes lit up and she nodded and stood up. "Kanan-san!" She shouted. Well, it was more like a whisper shout. The two waited, but there was no response. It was then that Hanamaru realized that there was no one else in the library. The small woman smiled awkwardly and frantically started looking around. "Umm..." Before she could start having a panic attack, Hanamaru coughed. "Can you just take me to see her?" 

The woman nodded wordlessly, already looking relieved. Hanamaru turned to Ruby. The redhead sat on a couch, already comfortable. "Are you coming?" Ruby shook her head, not looking up from her book. "You can go on, it's getting to the interesting part." Hanamaru smiled and began following the small woman. 

There wasn't much to how the two best friends met. One day, Hanamaru was taking out the trash and saw Ruby taking pictures of a bird. They had a strange conversation, but quickly befriended each other. The rest was history. Ruby didn't do much, but photography was her passion, which was why she joined Hanamaru on her mission today. She was a timid girl, but when it came to taking pictures, she did get herself into trouble sometimes.

After a few minutes of walking, they saw her. The receptionist's eyes widened, and she began approaching her, pouting. "Kanan-san!" Kanan Matsuura slept peacefully on a table instead of, what Hanamaru assumed, working. As the much taller woman stirred, Hanamaru couldn't but think that she seemed, well, a little underwhelming. This was the person that was supposed to help them. The contact that Dia told them about.

Kanan yawned, looking up with bleary eyes. After looking around confused for a moment, she smiled at the two of them. "....hey, Hanayo." The woman with the glasses, who Hanamaru now knew was Hanayo, frowned at her. "You were supposed to be putting the books on the shelves, and it's Koizumi-san." Kanan shrugged. "Sorry, I fell asleep." 

"Yeah, we kind of noticed." Hanamaru spoke up, and Kanan focused her violet eyes on her, tilting her head. Before she could say anything, Hanayo began scolding her. "Get back to work! You know we always have people coming in!" Kanan gave her a look that said, you know we don't, and stood up. "Okay, I'll get to it." Hanayo sighed in relief and looked at Hanamaru timidly. It reminded her of Ruby in a way.

"Could you help her out?" Hanamaru nodded with a reassuring smile. "Of course." With that, the two began their work. Compared to what she had been through the past few days, the silence of the library was comforting. As they finished up their work, Kanan sat back down with a sigh, and focused her eyes on Hanamaru. "So, who are you?" She still seemed laid back, but Hanamaru couldn't but feel like she was on guard. 

"U-Um, I'm working with Dia-san on an investigation, and she needs your help." Hanamaru pulled out her temporary badge and fiddled with it nervously. Now that they were alone, it made her kind of nervous. Kanan looked at the badge with narrowed eyes, before leaning back and smiling. "So you're Dia's student, huh." Hanamaru nodded. "Y-Yes, Hanamaru Kunikida."

Kanan stared at her for a bit, before nodding in satisfaction.

After looking around for a moment, her expression became serious. "Alright, let's talk for a bit." Kanan said, standing up. Hanamaru began following her with a gulp. What was she getting herself in to?

 

-  
Maki Nishikino didn't do much in her life. She was a doctor of sorts. Recently she seemed to work more with dead bodies, but it didn't bother her too much. She was helping the police force, which all she could hope to do. 

After all, what else could she do? She was set on the path of medicine the moment she was born, so she just accepted it. That's why, on a Sunday afternoon, Maki was doing paperwork at home. Since the office was closed, all she could do was work on autopsy reports.

She was used to pulling off all nighters, which was why she hadn't slept for nearly two days. 

Papers were scattered everywhere, and Maki sat on the floor with crossed legs. She felt more comfortable when she wasn't cramped up at her desk. With a yawn, she reached for her cup of coffee, only to find that it was empty. Maki sighed. She had lost count of how much she drank. 

Maki finished up her report with a lack of energy, making sure that she didn't make any mistakes. Despite it being somewhat of an annoyance, she took her work quite seriously. Any misinformation wouldn't be good for the already strained police force.

Laying on the floor, Maki stretched and looked at her phone. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had gotten a text message. It wasn't often anyone messaged her. After all, she didn't have many friends to begin with. Maki stood up and stumbled to the bathroom. "Ugh..." Looking in the mirror, she cringed at the mess of a human that she saw. 

"I should probably take a shower.." Maki muttered. The person she was meeting would never let her hear the end of it if she showed up like this. 

After taking a long shower, one in which she almost fell asleep in, Maki put on some light makeup. Well, enough to cover up the black circles under her eyes. As she stepped out of apartment, she averted her eyes. Putting on her sunglasses, she huffed in annoyance. It was the middle of November, yet the sun was as bright as always. Though maybe it was just her.

Maki pulled her coat over her shoulders. Even if the sun was out, it was still chilly, and she couldn't help but get the feeling that it would get even colder. 

She continued walking through the city. The place she was going was nearby, and it would do her good to get some fresh air. 

Maki sighed as she saw the busy streets of the city. While it seemed the same as always, there were an abnormal amount of police vehicles. It had been nearly a week since the theater incident, yet the city was still in distress. Along with the two detectives, there were two children that were injured, and people were not happy. Despite the police chief explaining the internship program, citizens deemed it wrong to allow students to participate in dangerous acts.

It was a mess, and the police were forced to cancel the program. 

Maki smiled. Despite that, they continued to work. Hanamaru Kunikida refused to give up on the internship, she had said that it was far beyond something like that. Chika Takami had said that as long as she knew what Heartbreak was doing, she would never allow herself to leave. Maki had to admit, it was quite the performance.

While there was this nagging feeling of fear in her, Maki felt like this was the best course of action. They weren't children. As a matter of fact, they were technically adults. So as long as they wanted to help, they would. 

Arriving at a bar, Maki walked through the door, ignoring the closed sign. As she walked in, Maki noticed that the place was a mess. There were cups all over the floor, and tables were flipped over. There must've been a party the night before, she noticed. Either that, or the bar was always like this. After all, Rin was never too good at cleaning.

"Maki-chan!" 

Hearing a familiar energetic voice, Maki braced herself for what was coming. Nearly getting thrown off her feet, she looked ahead to see Rin's yellow eyes staring brightly at her. She was surprised to see that she didn't have to look down. There was always a gap between their heights, Maki being the taller of the two. So finally seeing Rin's energetic face right in front of her, Maki couldn't help but blush.

"W-We're not in high school anymore, Rin." She said, trying to force herself out of the cat-like woman's death grip. Rin merely smiled, humming. "I haven't seen you for a while! I just thought we could relive some old memories." The ginger let go, her smile becoming a bit more tame. "Plus, I'm not the same old Rin, y'know." Maki could tell. Along with her height, Rin's hair had grown up to her back in waves. She was never one to prefer looking feminine, but Rin had grown into an exceptional woman.

Maki wouldn't have recognized her if she hadn't been hugged in the familiar tackle. 

Maki looked around, scratching her head. "The bar looks nice. Much dirtier than when you started." Rin laughed sheepishly. "Well, stuff happens...." She coughed and started walking off. "Anyway, come on in, we need to catch up." Maki grinned. Even if she seemed more mature, Rin was still Rin after all. 

Following her upstairs, Maki was led to a shabby looking apartment. While it was just as messy as the bar was, she couldn't help but feel at home. Besides paper and pizza boxes, the floor was strewn with beer bottles. "I suppose we all have our own habits," Maki thought. It didn't bother her. After all, even she had occasionally picked up smoking. Though she was making an effort to stop. 

One thing she was surprised to see was the abundance of books neatly put on a bookshelf. "You picked up reading? You were never too good at it," Maki said, picking out a book and flipping through. Rin, who had wandered to the kitchen to fix some drinks, chuckled. "Nah, it's just some kid I'm taking care of. She's really into it." Maki raised an eyebrow. She couldn't imagine Rin taking care of anyone. Though she did recall being told that while ago.

A long while ago now that she thought about it.

"You'll have to introduce me sometime," Maki commented, sitting down on the floor as Rin returned with the drinks. Rin's yellow eyes brightened as she sat down next to her. "I'm sure she'll enjoy your company." 

The two talked for a while, Rin about the bar and the people she had met, and Maki about her hospital work. She mentioned some of her less dangerous police work, more about the helping people and less about the dissecting them. Maki stretched and looked at the clock. "I should probably get going. I still have some paperwork to do." Before she could leave, however, Rin had grabbed her arm. "Wait, there's something else." 

Maki looked at her in surprise, but nodded and sat down. Rin smiled gratefully and sighed. "So I know that this might sound a bit, well, weird, but something happened recently." Maki tilted her head, but nodded for her to continue. "Well, um, long story short, I think I met Mari Ohara."

Maki sat there with a blank expression. 

"Oh."

Suddenly she realized it. Maki leapt forward, grabbing the other woman's shoulders. "Y-Y-You met the leader of Heartbreak!?" Rin smiled uncertainly, but nodded. "W-Well, she dropped by for a drink, b-but I didn't know it was her." Maki looked at her in disbelief. "Let me get this straight. So you met Mari Ohara," Rin nodded. "Had a nice little chat," Another nod. "And then she left." Rin nodded one last time, and Maki sprawled herself onto the floor. 

What was this bizarre line of coincidences? 

Rin scratched her head, a sheepish smile still on her face. "W-Well, I figured that since you worked with the police and all, you could help me. I mean, she's been coming nearly every night." Maki froze again. She sat up. "Rin, why would you tell me this information now?" Rin seemed to shrink herself smaller. "Well, you seemed busy......and I couldn't bother Maru about it......" 

Maki shook her head. "Wait a second, Maru? As in Hanamaru Kunikida?" Rin looked surprised. "Y-Yeah, she's the kid in taking care of." And that was it, everything had clicked into place. Mari was frequenting the bar, coming nearly every night. Hanamaru, one of the people that had stood up against her, lived here. And if she lived here.....

"Is Yoshiko Tsushima here?" Rin looked surprised. "I-I mean not right now. She's with the detective." Dia, she assumed. Maki nodded, her purple eyes focusing on the ground in front of her, despite the fact that nothing was there. After a moment, she looked up at Rin. 

"I have a plan. It's dangerous, but it's the only way." Maki looked into Rin's eyes. They were the same as they used to be, confident and willing to help. This really was the same Rin, wasn't it? 

"I need you to help us catch Mari Ohara."

 

-  
The two were sitting at yet another table in the quiet library. After following Kanan around for a few minutes, they arrived deeper into the building. Hanamaru wondered what the point of it was considering no one else was here, but she couldn't complain. 

"So, what does she need this time? Dia never calls and it gets kind of lonely," Kanan said, as she comfortably situated herself on a chair. Hanamaru coughed, still feeling awkward. She had never heard anyone talk about the fearsome detective like that. "W-Well, it's about Mari Ohara. She wanted me to ask for your help." 

Hanamaru swore that the temperature had dropped for a moment, however that was over just as quickly as it began. "Mari, huh...." Kanan said, an unreadable expression on her face. "So Dia asks for my help now? Years after Mari leaves, and she asks now....." Hanamaru's mouth hung open. The quick anger she had felt from the woman moments ago was replaced by pure bitterness. 

"U-Um..!" Despite her hesitation, Hanamaru spoke up. She couldn't ignore the problem any longer. Seeing how Dia had reacted when they faced Mari, she refused to not ask questions anymore. "How does Dia-san know Mari?" She asked. Kanan stopped speaking and stared at her. After a moment, she spoke, the same confused expression on her face. "She sent you here but didn't tell you anything?" Hanamaru nodded, and Kanan cursed. "She just had to make me do it..." 

Hanamaru pursed her lips, hiding her anger. It wasn't her fault that Dia didn't tell her anything. How was she supposed trust her if she wasn't even told anything? Kanan noticed her turmoil, and looked at her in concern. "W-Well, I'm sure she was just trying to protect you," she said, scratching her head and avoiding eye contact. Hanamaru glared at her. She couldn't take it anymore. "Protect me from what?! I'm already involved and she barely knows me! She has no right to protect me from anything!" 

Hanamaru suddenly realized that she had shouted, and fell silent. Sitting down on the chair across from Kanan, she crossed her arms and sighed. "Sorry, I'm just sick of people treating me like a child." Kanan's expression was unreadable, something that Hanamaru noticed she was very good at, and she merely nodded. After giving the student a moment to calm down, Kanan smiled sheepishly. "I didn't realize you would be that enthusiastic about this." 

Hanamaru's face flushed in embarrassment. She had gone overboard. "I-I just don't why Dia would hide something this valuable from me. Even if it didn't help much, it'd be good to know her background." Kanan nodded, a smile still on her face. "Well then, let me tell you about Dia. About how this all started." Hanamaru leaned forward. This was something she needed to know no matter what. 

Kanan coughed and began speaking. "We knew each other. Mari, Dia, and me. We were best friends at one point. And honesty," Kanan chuckled, "Dia isn't that different than she was back then. She was just, more open about her feelings." Her expression darkened. "Until Mari got involved with some stuff. We were teenagers, looking for any way to get money. And she......" Kanan stopped abruptly and stood up. "S-Sorry, but you need to hear this from Dia." 

Hanamaru stood up as well, stunned. She suspected that the three might have known each other, but what did Mari do? What did she get involved with that made her the way she was? And was Dia the cause of it? She only had more questions, and the fact that Kanan had stopped short made her more than a little anxious. Before she could beg her to continue, Kanan spoke up. "Tell Dia I'll help her." She turned and grinned at Hanamaru. "Though I probably have to practice my shooting again."

Hanamaru opened her mouth, but quickly shut it. The older woman was pale. Was she remembering what happened to Mari? Hanamaru nodded back, saying nothing. She had no right to make someone she just met relive bad memories. "I-I'll tell her." Hanamaru said, turning to leave. Kanan nodded gratefully. "Alright, I'll see you later." She stretched and laid her head down. "I think I'll take a break."

Hanamaru walked back through the maze of books and, after some difficulty, made it back to the front desk. "Ah! It's you again!" Hanayo noticed her and ran up, a much more cheerful smile on her face. "You've helped out so much today, and I never got your name." She said, looking slightly embarrassed. Hanamaru smiled. "It's fine, it was fun. I'm Hanamaru Kunikida." They introduced themselves once more, and Hanamaru looked around. "Ruby-chan?" 

Her companion was nowhere to be seen. 

Hanamaru walked outside after confirming with Hanayo that Ruby was no longer in the library, and looked around. "Did I make her wait for too long?" She said with a worried expression. There were a lot of people wandering the streets, and considering that it the time most people got out of work.....

"......I think this is my best one." Hanamaru turned quickly, hearing Ruby's cute voice. Sighing in relief, Hanamaru jogged around the street corner. The streets were dangerous, especially with the news of Heartbreak. That was partially why she had brought Ruby along on her trip. After all, if she was put in any danger....

"Huh, you're pretty good at this." 

Hanamaru went around the street corner and froze. "I-It's you...!" Ruby was talking to someone, showing the pictures she had taken with her camera. The woman was only a few inches taller than her, and had black hair that was tied into pigtails. The only problem was that..

Ruby turned around, hearing Hanamaru's voice. Her face lit up, and she waved. "Ah, Maru-chan! This is Nico-san!" 

This was the woman who was with Mari Ohara.

Expecting to be killed right there, Hanamaru braced herself, only to be met with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Hanamaru-chan." However, the smile Nico gave her was enough. Trying her hardest not to seem concerned, Hanamaru weakly smiled back. "Y-Yeah." She coughed and looked at Ruby. "I finished what I needed to do, are you ready to leave?" Her eyes darted towards Nico, who was looking at her curiously. 

"Yeah, I never asked. Why are are you here today, Ruby?" Nico said, the same fake smile on her face. "Oh! Um, Maru-chan needed to go to the library to talk to someone." Before Nico could respond, Hanamaru stepped in front of Ruby. "I-It was just a friend." She looked behind her. "Let's go Ruby-chan." She said with pleading eyes. Ruby looked at Nico, and the woman shook her head. "It's fine, I was just about to go anyway." She started walking away, looking back once more.

"It was nice to meet you, Ruby."

Her smile was replaced with a glare, something only Hanamaru saw.

"Hanamaru."

The two girls watched the woman melt into the crowd, and Hanamaru still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. "Maru-chan?" She turned around to see Ruby's worried face staring at her. Hanamaru attempted a smile, trying not to seem shaken by the encounter. If there was one thing she didn't want to do, it was involve Ruby in the investigation.

"I-It's nothing, let's head home." Hanamaru said, grabbing her hand. Ruby didn't respond, but merely nodded. As the two walked, Hanamaru knew that the redhead suspected that something was up. She was incredibly attentive when she needed to be. Hanamaru bit her lip and continued on. She didn't want to involve anyone else. Not Ruby and not Rin. 

This was her burden, and she had to carry it. Protecting her friends was all that mattered.

Chapter 7, Coincidence, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how makeup works, so please forgive me. Anyway, this new arc will be oriented towards investigation, which I'm super excited to write.


	8. Concern

It was bright outside. The streets were bustling with activity as students began to wander around the city. Since the internships were shut down with the sudden action of Heartbreak, students were let out much earlier until action was taken by the police.

While other students spent time working at part time jobs or just goofing off in general, Chika marched towards the police station, set on her mission. Recently she had been pulling up the surveillance cameras around the city in order to search for the member of Heartbreak that had defected.

However, it had been over a week and she still hadn't found a trace. "Is she even in the city anymore?" Chika cursed as she entered the station, nodding at the receptionist. She had spent so much time here that nearly everyone knew her by now. Though she wasn't here to slack off. 

Slamming the office door open she payed no attention to the sleeping older woman as she walked in and sat down at the desk. Honoka jumped at the sudden entrance, shaking off her sleepiness and frowning at the student.

"Was that necessary?" Honoka said grumpily, scratching her head with a yawn. Chika payed no attention to her, pulling up the surveillance cameras on the computer instead. She clicked to the footage from the day before, hoping to find signs of the girl they were hoping to find.

Riko Sakurauchi. The girl who was trained under the most dangerous people. After the theater incident, Riko had escaped the crime scene, and as far the police knew, not even Heartbreak knew where she was.

That's why Chika took it upon herself to search for her. If they could somehow get this girl to work with the police they could get a huge lead on capturing Mari. 

But despite her enthusiasm, it wasn't as easy as she thought. 

"Nothing. Again." 

Chika leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. No matter what she did or where she looked she couldn't find a trace of Riko. "Don't worry, she's probably just laying low." Honoka said as she stood up and grabbed her crutch, placing a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"That's the problem! I can't find her if she's laying low!" Chika shouted in frustration, slamming her hands on the desk. Honoka sighed, patting the younger girl's head.

"I think you're being too hard on yourself." 

She grabbed Chika's hand, pulling her up. "Let's go out to eat or something. You need a break." Ignoring her protest, Honoka dragged her outside, biting her lip as she turned and led her to the car. 

Honoka knew that Chika was doing all she could. The security cameras could only do so much, and unless they go into the field, they would have no way of finding Riko. She shook her head. 

Though there was no way that would happen. 

They weren't allowed to do any work outside of the police station. Honoka was still injured, and in the eyes of the public Chika wasn't even supposed to be here. Honoka sat in the passenger seat and gestured for the younger girl to drive. 

Chika complied, puffing her cheeks angrily. "You know I can't drive that well." Honoka shrugged, leaning back with a grin. "Eh, well you haven't killed me yet." The younger girl began driving, following Honoka's directions. "You know, I'm not that hungry." 

"Aw, don't be like that. You need a break." 

Chika tapped her finger impatiently on the steering wheel. "We don't have time for that." Honoka snorted. Was she still grumpy? The student was being far too invested in this. Or maybe Honoka just wasn't being invested enough. 

It wasn't like they could do anything. They were cornered. No matter how much they wanted to help, they couldn't. Honoka frowned, looking down at her injuries. 

She wanted to do something. She was the one who rashly ran after Riko. If she hadn't been shot, maybe Mari would've been caught. Maybe she could've actually done something. For the first few days she had stayed at home, that was all she thought about. 

But that was exactly why she had insisted that Chika needed a break.

Honoka always felt the pain and regret. There were many cases that went unsolved. And she had always blamed herself. What would that regret bring someone as young as Chika?

"Alright, turn right here and you should see it." 

Chika nodded. Honoka looked down at her bandaged body once more, biting her lip. She wanted to get better fast so she could finally help. 

The two stepped out of the car, Chika looking at the diner curiously. "This is...."

Honoka grinned. It had been a while since she had actually gone to the diner, and she was sure that someone would be happy to see her. 

"Let's go see if Umi-chan is working."

 

-  
By the time Yoshiko woke up it was already late morning. For the past few weeks she had been doing nothing but sleeping, but she felt she deserved a break. 

With a groan, she stretched, glancing at the clock. She was supposed to meet Dia today to discuss what would happen to her now. While she was content with staying at the bar, it would be too much trouble for the poor bartender.

She wasn't late, thank goodness. 

As she yawned again, Yoshiko noticed a note sitting next to the clock. Picking it up, she saw that it was from Hanamaru. 

"Good morning, Yoshiko-chan! Or good afternoon considering how late you wake up. I'm off to do an errand for Dia-san, so I probably won't be back until dinner. If you need me, I'll be at the public library for most of the morning." 

Yoshiko read the note aloud and tilted her head curiously. Ignoring the comment on her sleep routine, she wondered what Dia would want at the library. Yoshiko glanced at the clock again and shook her head.

It wasn't important at the moment, and she probably wouldn't need Hanamaru for the day. 

Yoshiko took a long shower, letting the water run as she closed her eyes. It seemed as if she showed a lot confidence in the theater, but the reality of it was the opposite. 

She hugged herself, trying to get the thoughts of the fire out of her head. And the blood...

Yoshiko quickly shut the shower off, pulling on some of Hanamaru's old clothes. It was nice not to be in fancy dresses all the time, and she wore sunglasses outside so no one would notice her. It didn't seem like much, but it did the trick.

Trudging into the kitchen, Yoshiko noticed Rin sleeping on the table. With a small smile, she quietly fixed herself some ramen. Watching the sleeping ginger as she ate, Yoshiko couldn't believe how much she owed her.

In just a short span of a few weeks, Rin had given her more than she could've asked for. 

Finishing up her breakfast, Yoshiko jotted down a quick note telling her guardian where she would be. Pulling on a coat, Yoshiko walked out of the bar.

She was heading towards Dia's home, something she had been meaning to ask. For occasions like this they would usually meet at the police station, but whatever it was now it must've been important. 

The streets were filled with people on their morning commute, though there wasn't as much traffic as there would be in the afternoon.

But still, Yoshiko felt her chest tighten as she continued to walk through the crowd. Anyone could be part of Heartbreak. Had they come to take her back? There were so many people who were in the gang, they could roam the streets without getting noticed. Except for Mari, who made it her mission to get noticed.

And if anyone who wasn't a cop saw her on the streets, they probably wouldn't do anything out of fear. Quickly shaking her head, Yoshiko took a deep breath. She hated thinking like that. She was fine, and it would stay that way. 

But would it?

After a quick train ride, Yoshiko arrived at the apartment. It was a simple building, nothing too fancy, but not too rundown. It fits Dia well, Yoshiko thought as she made her way to the apartment.

Yoshiko entered the elevator, nodding at an older woman who smiled at her. The woman tilted her head, curious emerald eyes staring. 

"Do you live here? I think I'd remember someone as cute as you." 

The woman's voice was teasing, her eyes mischievous as she fixed her purple hair. Yoshiko shook her head, a light blush on her face. "Ah, I'm just here to visit someone."

Raising an eyebrow, the woman nodded. 

"Tell me who. I'm sure I can help you find them. I know everyone here you know." 

Yoshiko was about to politely decline, but realized that Dia had never given her the exact room she was in. After a moment of contemplation, she shrugged. It couldn't hurt.

"Sure, I'd love the help."

A smile spread on the older woman's lips, and she grabbed the actress's arm. Yoshiko told her who she was looking for. 

The woman led her out of the elevator, and they began their journey through the apartment complex. 

"I'm Nozomi, by the way." 

After a moment of walking, the older woman spoke up, and it was then that Yoshiko realized that they never exchanged pleasantries. 

"Um, I'm Yoshiko." She said, making sure not to use her stage name. Not many people knew her real name so it should've been fine.

Nozomi nodded, humming a sweet, yet somber tune. 

As the two walked, Yoshiko glanced at the older woman curiously. She had never met anyone who seemed so mature yet so childish at the same time. Still, Nozomi seemed more like a grandma if anything. Though she looked relatively young, so that might've been a stretch. 

"Where do you work, Yoshiko-chan? You're young and pretty, so it must be a good job." Nozomi was humming again, and Yoshiko felt the urge to tell the truth. 

"W-Well, I think I'm taking a break from working for a while." 

She glanced at Nozomi, deciding to initiate a conversation herself. "Nozomi-san, do you like listening to people talk?" Yoshiko thought it best to be respectful, despite the woman's carefree attitude. 

Nozomi stopped humming, as if wondering it herself. 

"I suppose I like to help people get things off their chest." She said, after a moment of contemplation. 

"I know another girl a bit shorter than you, and we used to talk all the time." Her smile faded. "We don't do it so much anymore. I suppose I missed it..."

Yoshiko didn't understand who or what Nozomi was talking about. However, she did understand that this was someone who was missing someone she loved.

"You know, I was honestly thinking of being an actress," Yoshiko said, breaking the silence. Nozomi looked at her in surprise, something that she probably didn't do much, Yoshiko thought. 

"Really? Why?" 

Nozomi smiled. A smile that seemed grateful, at least to Yoshiko.

"A long time ago, when I was a kid, I had this friend," She recalled. It was a long time ago, but she still remembered it clearly. After all, it was one of her most treasured memories. 

"She was a little strange. But I suppose I was too." A lot more than she'd like to admit now, but at the time Yoshiko hid behind her persona. She was scared of being rejected, Yoshiko thought bitterly.

"And long story short," She didn't to drag on for too long. They were probably getting close. "I think she really helped me be confident in myself. That happens when someone has faith in you. It inspired me to be an actress." She didn't realize it, but a wide grin had spread across her face.

Yoshiko noticed that they had stopped, and suddenly smiled at Nozomi sheepishly. 

"Sorry, I was rambling for a moment there." 

The older woman shook her head, a smile resting on her face as well. "She must mean a lot to you." Yoshiko merely nodded, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. 

They had only recently reunited, so it felt strange to her. Their relationship had completely changed, though that was to be expected after nearly ten years.

But how should Yoshiko act now that they were friends once again? 

It'd be awkward to act as if no time has passed, but to be complete strangers again wouldn't be ideal either. It was something she'd have to think about later.

Yoshiko shook her head and looked around the hall, noticing that they were in front of a door. Dia's place, she assumed. She bowed her head, thanking Nozomi for her help. 

The woman waved her off. 

"Don't worry about it. We should talk again sometime. Just stop by." 

Nozomi smiled and began walking back to the elevator. 

Yoshiko sighed as she watched the older woman walk away. She felt so much lighter now. Suddenly, the door flew open, and Dia stood there staring at her. 

"Thanks for coming so far. We need to talk."

And her moment of peace was over.

 

-  
"Bring this to table three!"

The diner was busy, as it was usually, and Umi was handing plates to waitresses. They were running a little behind on orders, thanks to a certain girl slacking off. Umi had been working in the back filling out some paperwork until she was forced to move up to help. To say the least, she wasn't in the best of moods. 

"I'm sorry, Sonoda-san! I had forgotten to pay the rent and my landlord called!" 

You was furiously cooking eggs, shouting apologies every time Umi was within range. Instead of yelling at her for her incompetence, Umi sighed. She had wasted far too much energy the past week.

"Forget it and get to work." 

However, she did glare at the younger woman. 

"Your punishment will come later."  
Hearing an audible gulp, Umi smirked. Moments like this gave her the will to continue on. 

After an extremely close call, the customer uproar calmed down, and Umi was allowed to take a break. Or so she'd like to think. As she stepped out the kitchen, Umi untied her hair and took her apron off.

Deciding to stay in the diner for her break, Umi looked around for a seat. Noticing a certain head of ginger hair, her stress levels increased and she began marching towards it.

"Honoka! Shouldn't you be in bed?" 

Umi's childhood friend had recovered quite a bit, resorting to using one crutch instead of two. However, that didn't stop her from worrying. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I was just taking Chika-chan here to take a break." Honoka waved her off, instead pointing to the younger girl. 

Unlike the time she had come over for dinner, Umi noticed that Chika's hair was disheveled and that her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she was thinking intently. Glancing at Honoka, the other woman gave her a serious nod. 

Umi smiled at Chika. 

"Why don't I find you a seat?" 

Internally, Umi was counting how many times Honoka owed her. 

After guiding the two to an empty table, despite being on break, Umi quickly cooked them up some eggs and bacon. Sitting across from Chika, she leaned forward, watching the two wolf down the food.

When the two finished eating, she spoke up.

"So how's the investigation going?" Umi asked after picking up their plates and quickly dropping them off in the kitchen. 

Truthfully, she didn't want to know. She had enough to worry about with Honoka around. However, for Chika's sake, she would listen.

The younger girl's mood plummeted visibly, and she slumped in her chair. 

"I haven't found anything for the past week. For all I know she might be dead." Chika said cynically, staring down at the table. 

Honoka frowned, opening her mouth to say something. However, Umi shook her head. I can handle this, she mouthed. The ginger was noticeably frustrated, but nodded and stood up to go. 

"I'm going for a walk."

Chika began to follow, until Umi gently grabbed her hand. 

"I think you to talk to someone for a little bit. Someone who's not a cop for once." 

The student opened her mouth to protest, but hesitated. After a moment, she sat back down, and Umi flashed her a smile.

"Why are you beating yourself up so much?" Umi asked, glancing out the window to see if Honoka had already left. 

She understood that it was important for them to find this girl, but why was it tearing Chika apart so much? 

The ginger hesitated. "I-I talked to her, Umi-san." 

The waitress didn't understand, but nodded as Chika continued.

"She shot Honoka-san, I can't forgive her for that." 

Tears filled her eyes, and Umi noticed that people were staring. Glaring at them, she sat herself next to the grieving girl, rubbing her back soothingly. 

"B-But, she helped us out of that fire. She didn't want to hurt anyone."

Umi couldn't understand what Chika was going through. How could she say something like "cheer up, it's fine?" She didn't know what drove her, or what made her suffer.

However, Umi was good at one thing. 

"You want to save her, don't you?" 

Chika's head jerked up in surprise, and she nodded. The bluenette smiled.

"Then why are you getting discouraged?"

Umi dealt with someone who never told her anything. Someone who wanted to protect her and never asked for her help. So the only thing she could do for them was....

"I'm sure she's waiting for you, Chika-chan. After all, it was you she asked for help." 

Chika's eyes widened, realization dawning onto her. She stood up, bolting for the door. Looking back, she smiled gratefully at the older woman. 

"T-Thank you, Umi-san. I'll save her for sure." She said, renewed fire in her eyes. 

Umi nodded, and waved as the girl left the restaurant. 

Sighing, she leaned back in her seat. The diner was calm, a rare sight for her. Though she knew that it was only for a moment. Umi shook her head.

For better or worse, Chika reminded her of Honoka a little too much.

 

-  
Yoshiko looked around the detective's room. It was exactly as she expected it to be. Only the bear essentials, save for the papers and documents on the living room table.

"Take a seat, I'll make you some tea."

Situating herself on a couch, Yoshiko noticed how Dia was dressed. While the room seemed very Dia-like, she was dressed very unprofessionally in a simple t-shirt and shorts. Then again, it'd probably be weird if she was dressed professionally going to bed.

However, it was still strange. 

Dia was like a celebrity, everyone knew her. There were rumors that she was ruthless and without mercy. Of course, that had nothing to do with Yoshiko at the time, so she ignored it. 

That was, until she had called the detective for help. 

It was a last resort for her. Dia was said to be ruthless, but she was also said to be one of the best. So when the so called "cold detective" walked into the theater, Yoshiko was relieved. If not just a little frightened. 

Even when they had gone through the tunnels together they had rarely talked. Dia had decided to formulate a plan when Hanamaru had been knocked unconscious. 

So all in all, it was like learning more about the personal life of a celebrity. Though Yoshiko couldn't talk. She was somewhat of a celebrity as well. 

Dia returned with the tea, snapping Yoshiko out of her thoughts. After making some room for the tray, the two sat in silence for a moment. Dia concentrated on the documents on front of her, and Yoshiko noticed that she seemed a little more worn down than usual.

Finally, after a few more moments, the detective spoke up. 

"How's Shorty treating you?" 

Looking confused for a moment, Yoshiko realized who she was talking about. 

"Ah, it's fine. Zuramaru hasn't done much, but Hoshizora-san has been taking care of me. I don't think she has a problem with it." 

Dia nodded, mulling over the information, and Yoshiko sighed. She felt like she was being interrogated. 

"What do you think you'll do when this is all over?" 

However, she was not prepared for the pensive tone coming from the older woman. Looking up, she saw that Dia was biting her lip uncertainly.

"I guess I'd go back to being an actress." Yoshiko grabbed her cup of tea, blowing the steam away. 

Dia nodded, the same pensiveness evident. 

"I-I don't know how long it'll take to catch her." 

"Huh?"

"Mari-san."

Yoshiko stared at her, seeing another new expression appear. Doubt. Was Dia worried that she'd become impatient? That they wouldn't catch Mari? It was now that she realized that the rumors about her were wrong.

Yoshiko shook her head with a smile. "I'll just think of this as an extended vacation. You can take as long as you need to catch them." 

This took Dia off guard, and she looked at her in surprise, before nodding gratefully. 

"I'll do all I can." 

The rest of the time was spent in comfortable silence, something Yoshiko didn't expect when she walked in. But now, she felt as if she had seen a side to the detective that no one else had.

Yoshiko glanced at the clock.

"I think I'll take my leave." 

It wasn't late, but if she wanted to catch the train she'd have to leave now. Besides, the next train would arrive late at night. Something she wanted to avoid at all costs. 

Dia nodded, standing up and taking the tray. As she entered the kitchen, Yoshiko heard the sink turn on and began to leave. However, the papers on the table caught her attention. Moving closer, her eyes widened, and she put a hand over her mouth to stop a gasp.

What was this?

It was a picture of the missing girl, Riko. And she was somewhere she never could've guessed. An abandoned amusement park. This park had been abandoned for years, which meant that the surveillance cameras had no access there. Furthermore, it was hours away from the city.

So how did Dia have this picture? 

Her mind a jumble of questions, Yoshiko heard the sink turn off, the detective approaching.

Yoshiko pulled out her phone, nearly dropping it on the floor. Snapping a quick picture of the photo, she opened the door.

"I-I'll see you later, Dia-san."

Her voice was shaking, but Dia didn't seem to notice. 

"Yeah. And ask Shorty if she did what I asked, all right?"

Yoshiko nodded, her mouth dry. She quickly said goodbye once more, and left the room. 

Collapsing against the door, Yoshiko sighed and bit her lip. What was Dia's motive? Wasn't Riko the key to finding Heartbreak? If so, why would she hide valuable information from everyone?

Yoshiko realized something. Even after everything they had gone through, she knew almost nothing about the detective.

Could she even be trusted?

 

Chapter 8, Concern, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was another chapter of City of Sin! I know it hasn't been updated in a while, but things will probably be back to normal after next week. Thanks for the patience!


	9. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but things should ramp up next time!

"Okay so here we are."

Maki had informed the detective about the bizarre chain of events that had led to Mari frequenting the bar. She had wanted to wait a few weeks to think more about putting Rin in danger, but....

"Hey, Dia-chan! Where do you keep the sugar?!"

A whole group of people had gathered at Dia's home to discuss a plan, some people familiar and some she had never even seen before. 

Cutting through the tense atmosphere was the shout of Honoka, who was currently making tea.

"Don't you have coffee? I've been getting pretty fond of it lately." 

One of the new additions to their team was a strange bluenette. Apparently she was an acquaintance of Dia's. She currently walking around organizing books. 

How did Dia of all people meet someone like that?

Hanamaru wandered towards her, looking amused. "That's kind of different from how you are at work, Kanan-san. I didn't know you drank coffee."

The woman gave her a sly smile. 

"Don't believe everything someone shows you. Or tells you for that matter."

Chika and Yoshiko sat on the couch saying nothing. Maki felt as if there was something off about them. Earlier they fine...

The only person missing from their group was Rin, and for good reason. 

Maki didn't want to endanger her old friend. She hadn't told anyone except for Dia about the plan. If she had told anyone else how would they react? 

Rin had said she wanted to do something to help. It was her choice. It was what she wanted. 

But what about the people who cared for her? Hanamaru had lived with Rin for years, she would never want her to get herself into any trouble. 

That's why Maki was partially relieved that they were having this meeting. She was the one who thought of the plan. If she hadn't said anything, Rin wouldn't have gotten involved. 

If there was one thing she wanted to happen now, it was to put the bartender in the safest place she could be in.

Dia stood up, looking irritated. "Can we get started now?" 

Honoka wandered from the kitchen, a cookie in her mouth and a tray of tea in her hands. "Hmf!"

"I think that means yes," Chika remarked with a small smile. 

Dia sighed and Maki grinned. There weren't a lot of people that could get to the detective. Honoka was one of the few who could.

The group of seven sat down at the table, only the sound of Honoka's munching breaking through the tension. 

Finally, after a moment, Dia coughed and glanced at Maki. Realizing that she was the one who technically called for the meeting, the redhead took a deep breath. 

Standing up, she glanced at Hanamaru, who was reaching for some cookies and staring at her expectantly.

Maki exhaled. She was just passing on a message. It was Rin who wanted to help, not her. Plus, it was just a suggestion. With this many people around they were bound to reach another conclusion.

"So, this is about our problem with Mari." 

Once she spoke, Maki could tell that atmosphere had changed. 

Kanan's expression had become unreadable, and Honoka had put down a cookie unfinished.

"We had found out about a possible location that she frequently goes to as of the past few weeks." 

A sharp inhale came from the woman to her right, Kanan. However, Maki was not interrupted. 

"It's at..." Maki hesitated. There was no going back now. "..R-Rin's bar..." 

She looked down, biting her lip. Uneasy silence filled the air, until a hand hit the table. 

"What are you talking about?!" 

Looking up, Maki was surprised at the sudden outbreak, but soon realized who it was.

"Rin-san has been in danger for that long?!" Hanamaru growled, glaring. "And you didn't bother to tell us?!" She turned towards Dia.

Everyone else looked at her as well, but her expression remained unclear. Feeling guilty about dragging her into it, Maki stepped in front of the detective. 

"I-It wasn't her fault, Rin had only recently told us about it. She offered to be the one to help with the plan to stop Mari!" 

The room grew silent again, and Maki realized that she had just told them about the plan for the first time.

Unexpectedly, it was Kanan who spoke next. With a contemplative look, she stood up. "I don't know who this Rin is, but I'm assuming she's a citizen." She turned looked at Hanamaru. "And someone you know?"

Hanamaru grunted in affirmation. 

Kanan shrugged, grinning at Dia. "If this Rin wants to help why don't we let her? It's her choice, if she's smart she knows of the danger." 

Maki's mouth gaped. Dia sighed and shook her head. 

"W-What are you talking about?!" Hanamaru looked at her as she was insane. "It's dangerous!"

Kanan's expression remained lax, her eyes hardening. "And I'm sure she knows that. Would she even ask to do it if she didn't? Or do you do you think she's not smart enough?" 

"That's not for you to decide. You don't even know her," Hanamaru argued back, marching up to her. 

"Are you sure you even know her? I'm sure if you did you'd know she can make decisions herself," Kanan replied cooly. 

The air froze, the two glaring at each other. 

"Why don't we just ask her?" 

Yoshiko spoke up, looking pale and hesitant.

"I mean, Rin-san has been taking care of me all this time, and I don't know if she even wants to," She said, her eyes downcast. 

Hanamaru bit her lip and nodded. 

"S-Sorry, Kanan-san. I was letting my emotions get the better of me."

The older woman scratched her head, grinning pensively. "No, I was being insensitive." 

"Are you guys done?" Maki asked, smirking. Internally she was relieved that the two had quickly resolved the issue. Everyone in the group was sensible, thankfully.

"If so, I think it's time we go over the plan. Just in case Rin-san agrees to be the center of the it," Dia stepped in. She hadn't said much the whole time and Maki had wondered if something was wrong.

The group nodded, and after going over the plan, the meeting was adjourned.

 

-  
"Yo, Dia."

Kanan waved at the detective, smiling at woman's familiar glare. 

"What do you need, Kanan-san?" 

The group had begun to file out of Dia's apartment, when Kanan had decided to confront her friend about something. 

"Can't I just talk to my old childhood friend?" She said, looking mock offended. 

Dia sighed. "There's always something you want from me when you say that."

Kanan chuckled, waving at Hanamaru as she left the apartment. She grinned at the younger girl's curious look as she left. 

"Your little partner is interesting, isn't she?" Kanan commented as the door shut.

"Yeah." Dia nodded, and Kanan noticed that she didn't seem to be paying much attention. 

"Is something the matter?" She asked, situating herself back on the couch. The two hadn't talked for years, not since Mari left. For the first few months Kanan had tried her hardest to find their friend. When Dia had refused to even try, she had slowly given up, eventually ending up at the library.

Kanan had hated Dia for the longest, but having all the free time in the world gave her a lot to think about. The hate just melted away, and she understood why Dia had done what she did.

Hanayo had said that she seemed to not worry about anything anymore, saying that she might be too laid back. It didn't bother Kanan too much.

After a few moments of contemplation, Dia shook her head. "There's nothing wrong. Just thinking about what we'll do when we find Mari-san."

Kanan raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it simple? We arrest her and she gets the punishment she deserves." 

It sounded harsh, but that's what needed to happen. They weren't friends anymore, and things couldn't go back to how they were before. 

Dia nodded with an unreadable expression. "Yes, of course." She looked at Kanan, a smile filled with sadness. 

"I'll do anything to stop her." 

Dia turned away. 

"Anything."

 

-  
Hanamaru opened the back door, exhausted and tired. Since the bar was still open, she had made sure that they would make it inside without being seen. After all, now that they knew about Mari...

Feeling anger well up, Hanamaru sighed. She didn't know what to think anymore. 

"Good night, Zuramaru." Yoshiko waved at her, walking to the guest room she was staying in. Hanamaru noticed that she seemed apprehensive, but payed no mind.

She was too bitter to care. 

Hanamaru laid on the couch, closing her eyes and listening to the commotion in the bar. Was Mari there now? Was Rin scared? The more she thought about it, the more powerless she felt.

And the more bitter she felt towards Dia.

Weren't they supposed to be a team? All of them? Weren't they supposed to trust each other? That's what Hanamaru thought.

However, Dia hadn't told her about Kanan, and Kanan herself was nothing but lies. And to not tell her of the danger Rin was in? There was no trust between them, Hanamaru knew that now.

Closing her eyes, Hanamaru tried to relax. She would talk to Rin later. Maybe her guardian would change her mind. The plan Maki and Dia had come up with was far too dangerous.

Hanamaru's mind went blank for a moment, before she jerked awake at the sudden slamming of a door. 

Looking around warily, she noticed that the commotion downstairs had subsided, and she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

The door opened, and Rin smiled at her curiously. "Hey, shouldn't you be in bed? It's late." 

Hanamaru looked at her, confused, before glancing at the clock. She must've dosed off. Shaking her head, she drew her attention back to her guardian.

The woman looked the same as always. Her hair was a bit messy, and she looked tired. Despite that she still had a smile. 

Noticing her staring, Rin tilted her head. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

Hanamaru looked down and bit her lip.

"Why didn't you tell me about Mari?" 

She looked back up, her eyes pleading for an answer. 

Rin was taken aback for a moment, but tried to give a reassuring smile. "I guess you figured that out, huh." For a moment, the two were silent, and Hanamaru looked down to see that Rin's hands were shaking.

"I-I can't sit back and do nothing. Not while I know you're putting yourself in danger." Rin put her hands behind her back and grinned.

"After all, I took you in. Wouldn't it be bad if I didn't try to protect you?" 

"I-"

Hanamaru tried to protest, but was cut off by a pat on the head.

"I promised Nozomi I would take care of you. Does she know what you've been through?"

"...."

Rin took that as a no.

"If she did, she'd worry a hell of a lot more than I did." 

Hanamaru said nothing. There was nothing else she could do. She couldn't stop her. Rin sat down next to the young girl and wrapped her arms around her. 

"I'm not only doing this for you. I'm doing for myself. Business will be bad if she scares off all of my customers." Rin laughed. 

Rin stood up, her smile genuine. 

"Besides, it won't be as dangerous as blowing up a theater, but it's the least I can do."

Hanamaru nodded. She was still uneasy about it, but if Rin was really going to do it, she would anything to help her. 

With one last pat on the head, Rin sent her off to bed. It was late, almost morning. However, as if her day hadn't already been eventful enough....

"Zuramaru? There's something I need to tell you. It's about Dia."

Hanamaru ran into Yoshiko, and realized that trust was something she'd have to worry about a lot more.

 

Chapter 9, Preparations, Fin.


	10. According to Plan

"You ready? You're not going to cry are you?" Kanan grinned.

It was a teasing remark, unfit for the situation. 

"Oh sure, it's not like I'm going to die."

Rin retorted sarcastically, trying to mask her fear.

"Can you two please get serious? It's almost time." 

A voice from a radio interrupted their banter. 

"Come on, Dia, I'm trying to cheer her up," Kanan said with a glance at her watch. 

"...That's not the most pressing issue right now, get into position." 

Kanan rolled her eyes, turning to Rin. "I'll be outside, you know the signal if you're in trouble," she said, smiling in an attempt at reassurance.

"Kanan-san, how does this freaking computer work?" Chika complained through the radio. The younger girl was joining her in the car. She would supposedly be safer there. Something that she had grudgingly agreed to.

Kanan sighed and grinned. "Just don't mess with anything, I'm on the way."

As she exited, the upstairs door opened, and Maki entered smoothing out her shirt.

"A-Alright, I'm ready," Maki muttered. 

"Dressed for the occasion?" Another voice from the radio, more playful than Dia's. 

"Shut up, Honoka."

Maki looked down at her attire. She was borrowing Rin's work clothes, so it was a little small for her. The redhead took a deep breath and exhaled. 

She was going to be fine. Just act natural and call for help if anything happened. Besides that all Maki had to do was help manage the bar and keep an eye on Mari.

"I took self defense classes once, I can do this...." Maki murmured to herself. Kanan was outside and ready to help if anything happened. Plus, Hanamaru was upstairs in position as well.

It was going to be fine.

"I-Is this really going to work?" Yoshiko asked herself, worried. She looked around the room at the two detectives. Dia was typing away at the computer, and Honoka was wandering around making phone calls.

While she was confident in their abilities, Yoshiko couldn't help but worry about her current guardian. The two with the most combat experience weren't even there. 

Yoshiko frowned. She had complete trust in Hanamaru, but Kanan was someone that she had just met. Along with the argument during the meeting, the bluenette was someone she just couldn't trust.

Honoka, finished with her phone call, smiled at her and patted her shoulder in reassurance.

"Don't worry. Maki and Hanamaru are there. And if Dia trusts Kanan, then so do I." 

Yoshiko bit her lip. The two detectives had worked together for years, of course there was bond of trust between them. But weren't there also possible secrets?

Her mind quickly wandered to the photos she had found in Dia's apartment, but Yoshiko quickly shook her head. Now wasn't the time. She would do something about it after the mission. 

"Zuramaru, are you ready?"

Upstairs at the bar, Hanamaru frowned. "Do you have to call me that still?" 

Yoshiko cracked a smile. "Sorry, habit." 

Hanamaru sighed. "Well, fine, I'm ready." She looked around the room. Weapons, hidden cameras, and Kanan's van was aabout a block away. She was in control of the situation, and if anything went wrong she could deal with it immediately.

Could she though? 

What if something went wrong? She was supposed to be the one to respond first, but what if she didn't make it in time? 

Hanamaru took a deep breath. She didn't have time to think of the worst. Grabbing a handgun, Hanamaru positioned herself at the stairway, keeping an eye on the cameras.

"She's here." 

 

-  
There was less business than usual, Mari noticed as she entered. 

A few people lingered here and there, the regulars she presumed. However, there was something that intrigued her. 

"A part time worker, Star-chan?" Mari asked as she sat down at the bar. Her eyes focused on the redhead that was currently serving drinks. 

Rin chuckled, it sounded a little tense but Mari paid it no mind. "Yeah, I decided that managing everything myself is a little much." 

"I can see why," Mari said, grinning. It may have been a slow day for the bar, but there were days that she couldn't even find a seat. 

"Water?"

"Sadly," Mari sighed.

Though usually that would quickly change. Everyone knew who she was. And seeing how they would look at her, it put a smile on her face. 

Mari grinned. Nico would call her a masochist. 

Then again, it got old after a while. That was probably why she was so intrigued by the bartender. Someone who didn't know who she was. Someone who looked at her like a person. It was amusing.

But what would be more amusing?

Mari pondered this question, mixing her ice water. 

Being an unknown factor in the world? Or being known and feared by all?

Mari's smile widened. 

Whatever happened, life was bound to get even more interesting.

 

-  
"Excuse me, waaaaiiter."

Maki felt a chill run down her spine, as she heard Mari playfully call out to her. This was her first time meeting the notorious criminal, and despite how cheerful she was there was something unnerving about her.

"Y-Yes?" Maki managed to stutter, hoping that it seemed like she was nervous about the job. You know, instead of the murderer and criminal. 

"May I get another water?" 

"A water?" 

Maki must've made a face, because Mari began giggling. "Well, Star-chan is busy, so it would be rude of me to ask her. Besides," Mari leaned forward.

"I want to get to know you, Ma~ki."  
Mari's playful tone didn't match her eyes.

Maki froze. Were they caught? "I-I'll get your water," she whispered, speed walking to the counter. 

Reaching for a cup, Maki began urgently whispering. "I-I think she knows." 

"Were you compromised?!" Dia's voice demanded through the war piece. 

"I don't know, but she knew my name." 

Dia shut her eyes and nodded. She exhaled and opened her eyes again. 

"Change of plan. Kanan-san, we need you in there."

"I can't, it'll compromise us!"

That doesn't matter! Shorty, you need to-" 

The bar door slammed open, and silence enveloped the room. 

"Oh shit." Hanamaru muttered in disbelief. 

"What happened? Answer me!" Dia slammed her hand on the desk. 

Kanan's voice came in, uncharacteristically grim. "We've got company." 

Maki looked up at the door and froze. A woman stood in the doorway, seething with anger. Despite her short stature, her red eyes burned with fury. 

Fury directed at Mari Ohara.

In contrast with the terrified atmosphere, Mari had a carefree, slightly awkward smile. And considering that the woman had a gun, it didn't really seem like the ideal situation.

"Ohara!" 

The woman began marching up to the bar, and Mari's smile soon faded as her eyes widened. 

"Nico-cchi, I didn't expect to see you here. Ha ha ha...."

"Shut the fuck up. I already called her about the situation and you know what we have to do know." 

It was as if Mari had been caught by her mother, making this situation more bizarre. However, Maki wasn't any less terrified. 

Besides the words spoken by Mari and her assailant, the room was silent, meaning Maki's gulp was all the more audible. Dia's voice spoke with urgency in her ear, yet she couldn't process a thing. 

All she could do was watch as the city's most wanted headed for the door.

Until she heard a shout, making it seem as if time had resumed.

"Stop!" 

Rin had shouted, her voice trembling with fear but with a sense of purpose. It was crazy, dangerous, and absolutely insane. But it was enough to get the attention of the criminals. 

The two women turned back, and Rin's gaze turn to Maki, who's feet were still rooted to the ground. She nodded solemnly, taking a deep breath.

"Kanan-san, call them in!" 

Time had slowed once more, and without hesitation Mari's companion had raised their gun.

Aiming straight for Rin.

Maki felt as if she had been bathed in cold water. 

Her friend was about to be shot. 

It's not like the movies, you can't save her.

But hadn't she abandoned Rin enough? They hadn't spoken for years, only because Maki never made time for her. 

You're not a cop. This isn't even your job, why are you here?

What the hell was she doing? 

It was like an electric shock. Multiple electric shocks. Intense pain spread throughout her body. It was really unlucky that she was currently moving. It probably would've been better if she was standing still. Maybe the bullet would've gone through cleanly. 

Wishful thinking.

Hitting the ground was too much, and Maki cried out in pain, feeling her consciousness fade. She felt as if she was deep underwater, hearing muffled shouts and screams.

The last thing she saw was Hanamaru burst through the upstairs door, shocked and angry. 

"A bit late, don't you think?" 

 

-  
"Maki-san!" Hanamaru ran through the bar, the customers now running around in a panic. Shoving people out of the way, she stopped, getting a clear view of the redhead.

Rin stood petrified, tears streaming down her face. Hanamaru crouched down. She should've been faster. Looking at her guardian, she bit her lip. If she had ben here no one would have gotten hurt.

She couldn't tell if the wound was fatal or not, but Maki was still breathing, so as long as they got medical attention...

"Rin-san, please call an ambulance quickly." Hanamaru said quietly, only satisfied when the ginger nodded.

There was no time to worry. Maki would be fine, she HAD to be fine. There was one thing she had to focus on.

Standing up, she looked towards the exit. Mari had just ran out the door, Nico right on her heels. 

"Ohara!"

Hanamaru felt anger surge through her and began sprinting after them. 

"Shorty, stand down!" Dia said in a tone calmer than Hanamaru felt. 

"They're going to escape if I don't chase them now, where's Kanan-san?!" She spat back barely spotting the two run down an alley.

"Police, freeze!" Hanamaru yelled, pulling out her gun. The narrow alley was filled with trash cans and boxes, making it all the harder for her to navigate. 

"I'm a little busy here!" 

Kanan's voice came in the form of a shout, and Hanamaru heard dangerously close gunshots in the distance. 

"Kanan-san, I'm going to step on the gas!"

"Chika?! W-Wait!"

Hanamaru furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. This was a secret operation, how had Heartbreak responded so quickly?

"Shorty, you can't take care of this. You're supposed to be off the case, and the police are coming to your position! You'll be in big trouble if they see you!" Hearing Dia spout advice in her ear was starting to piss her off, especially since she was right.

"But if I let them out of my sights now, they'll escape!" 

The alleyway had ended, and Hanamaru saw the empty road ahead. 

"Wait a second, I see them!" Came Chika's voice.

Hanamaru saw the two enter a car. They had even planned an escape route? This road would lead to the main streets, meaning they would be out of sight. How had they planned so far ahead?

At this rate, she would lose the-

"Woah!" 

Running into the road, Hanamaru nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw a car nearly ran into her. What surprised her more was who was in the car.

"Hanamaru-chan! Get in, hurry!" Chika shouted, looking and sounding absolutely terrified. 

For good reason, the gunshots from behind would do that. She didn't have to ask twice, Hanamaru had barely jumped into the van before they had blasted off. 

"Oh no..." 

Looking out the front window, Hanamaru paled. Mari's car was close, but even closer was...

"Hey, can you keep it steady up there? I can't shoot! It's too bumpy!" Kanan's voice seemed farther away than usual, and Chika responded with a squeak.

Chasing a murderer's car while being chased by people with guns. To make matters worse, the main street was just ahead. Hanamaru couldn't help but think that it seemed just a little busier than usual.

Things certainly weren't going according to plan. 

Chapter 10, According to Plan, Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like we've almost have 1000 hits on this story! Considering that it's really out there I didn't think many people would give it a chance, but thank you for proving me wrong. This chapter had many revisions due to me struggling to find what I would consider "my" style of writing. I'm not super happy, but I can't say I'm dissatisfied with it.
> 
> As for my hiatus, summer has started, meaning I can find some more time to write. I'm thinking of writing some Bandori fics, especially ones featuring Sayo and Hina (non romantically, obviously). Anyway, that's my update and I hope you look out for my future projects!


End file.
